Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph has hailed the influence of chairman Randy Lerner on the club.
Lerner has been a constant source of encouragement for Delph when other chairmen might have been tempted to cut their losses and let him go.
"He paid a sum of money for me four years ago and we've seen people go for a sum of money, end up getting injured and then they get shipped off," Delph told the Birmingham Mail.
"Whereas Randy, the chairman here, has been brilliant. Every time I've got injured he's been positive with me, saying 'Come on you can get back fit, push on, you can do well'.
"He's just believed in me. Every time I've seen him he's said nothing but positive stuff to me. I have a good relationship with him.
"He owns the club and if I'm injured what good am I? I personally feel like I went missing for a few years. Obviously it's down to injuries. It's not something I was happy with."
Lerner famously called Darren Bent 'the Mailman' because he always delivers but the owner has not given Delph a nickname during his positive pep-talks.
"Whenever I see him I'll spend five minutes having a chat with him," added Delph.
"To be fair, I just love talking so whoever wants to talk to me I'll have a chit-chat with them!
"It's always nice to see Randy, you don't see him that often, but when you do he's always a gentleman.
"He always takes time to ask how I am and tells me what he thinks I can do better and how I can push on. Has he got a nickname for me?
"I don't know. Probably the 'Missing man!' No, he just calls me 'Fab'."
