Aston Villa legend Peter Withe says it was the right time for Alex McLeish to go.

Withe wrote in the Daily Star Sunday: "If you'd asked me a week ago whether Alex McLeish should ­remain at Aston Villa, my answer would have been 'Yes'.

"As a manager, I know that when things go wrong on the pitch there are always more factors to it than the fans recognise.

"But on reflection - and given the level of abuse Alex has taken recently - maybe it was time for him to move on.

"There comes a stage when you wonder, 'Is it worth it?' and 'Is this what my family need?' If it affects those closest to you, it becomes too much.

"I used to play against Big Eck. He was a great defender and a great guy. And he's a proud man. He'd have wanted another chance to get it right with Villa. Every ­manager wants to leave a club on a high."