CYRILLE Regis reckons Saturday’s derby between Aston Villa and West Brom will have an old-school feel to it.

The former striker, who played for both teams during his successful career, believes the eagerly-anticipated game has all the attributes to be a cracker.

Regis remembers the days when the biggest Midlands derby of the season was when the boys in claret and blue took on those in blue and white stripes.

And although Blues and Wolves are their biggest respective rivals nowadays, the 53-year-old knows it’s still a massive game for both clubs.

“I think it is poised to be a fantastic match,” said Regis, who also played for Coventry and Wolves.

“Villa will be eager to kick on after the Manchester City defeat and go on another good run but for Albion it was crucial to have notched up the three points in the Wolves derby to give them plenty of confidence.

“Back in the 70s and 80s, this derby was the big one.

“We were both big boys in the Midlands.

“It was the one to win as far as I’m concerned.

“From a Black Country point of view, people say the Wolves but from the perspective of who’s the top dog in the area it was always Villa v Albion. We were both playing well in that era. It was always a big, big game. Those days that match was hell and thunder for a good 30-35 minutes-plus until it settled down a bit.