from the sidelines as Eric Cantona fired home the winning goal with five minutes left on the clock, consigning Liverpool to another year with no major silverware. It would be the closest that Collymore would come to winning a major trophy in his playing career. 1996–97 Expectations were high for Liverpool and the Collymore/Fowler partnership the following season after the promise they had showed in the previous campaign. Roy Evans' exciting young squad led the league for much of the first half of the season, but a series of poor performances in early 1997 saw them fall behind winners Manchester United and eventually finish 4th. Collymore was again a regular fixture in the attack and was a consistent goalscorer and creator, but became the subject of increasing media scrutiny throughout the season, as tabloids accused him and most of his teammates of being unprofessional, with the squad being dubbed the "Spice Boys" by newspapers in 1997. He eventually fell out of favour with Evans, and was gradually replaced with the up-and-coming Michael Owen towards the end of the season. As his starts for Liverpool became more sporadic, rumours of his departure from Anfield began to circulate prior to the summer. Aston Villa (1997–2000) 1997–98 Rumours of his exit from Liverpool were confirmed on 16 May 1997 when Collymore was signed by boyhood club Aston Villa for a club record £7 million. Collymore debuted for the Villans on 9 August 1997 in a 1–0 loss to Leicester City. He scored his first club goal on 27 August, in a 3–2 loss against Tottenham. On 4 October, he was sent off after getting into a fistfight with Bolton Wanderers' Andy Todd and subsequently handed a three match ban by the F.A. His debut season for Villa coincided with a major dip in form, as well as injury and disciplinary problems, as he managed just 6 goals all season and struggled to break into the starting lineup ahead of longtime main striker Dwight Yorke. During a match against Liverpool on 28 February 1998, Collymore accused former teammate Steve Harkness of racist abuse, an incident that was later picked up by the Professional Footballer's Association (PFA), but went unresolved and was closed after both players met in private and agreed to move on without charges. Off the field, Collymore was involved in an incident on 9 June 1998 where he assaulted girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson