On the brink of full fitness after suffering a knee ligament inujury while on loan at Wigan Athletic in February, Herd is aiming to return to the English Premier League, even if it means joining a Championship or League One club to regain lost momentum.
Father and mentor Willie Herd, who spent 13 seasons in Scotland’s top flight with Falkirk and Partick Thistle, said there has been some interest from second and third tier English clubs for the versatile defender, whose career has been hindered by a succession of injury setbacks since breaking into the Villa's first team in 2011.
With 36 senior appearances in five seasons at Villa Park, the 26 year-old didn't feature for the first team last season and was ruled out of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup with an Achilles injury.
He made just seven club appearances in 2014-2015, two on loan with Bolton Wanderers and four at Wigan.
“Chris’s contract has been officially terminated at Villa and while there have been some sniffs, there is nothing concrete on the table just yet from elsewhere,” Herd senior said.
“Two years ago he was playing in the Premier League but last year he played only a handful of games for Bolton and Wigan and a lot of people are still sitting on the fence.
"People can forget you very quickly when you are not playing. Villa offered him a three-month contract because (coach) Tim Sherwood wanted to have a look at him, but Chris said no to that.”
No matter what, the A-League is far from his radar, with Willie Herd insisting: “Chris really isn't interested in that at all.
"We have spoken about it and there was interest from Newcastle Jets last season but Chris just still has aspirations and the desire to get back to playing in the Premier League again.
“He feels he has another six to eight years to offer, and that’s what he's focusing on.”
Herd, who was seeking a season-long extension, has been continuing his rehab at Villa and is close to regaining full fitness as he seeks to pick up the threads of his career.
“He’s a free agent right now but of course had he been fit and playing he wouldn’t be in this position," Herd senior added.
“You would like to think that a player with Premier League experience who is available on a free transfer, if he is fully fit, would be a good pick up for a lot of teams.
"He can do a job for a coach, that's for sure. It’s now just a waiting game … he’s feeling very positive and believes something is going to happen and hopefully people will still remember what he can do when he is fully fit.
“It just needs somebody to take a chance on him. He’s close to full fitness now and he hasn’t given up all hope at Villa just yet.
"The boss has been away with the team and when he returns perhaps he may reconsider - but as things stand he is no longer a Villa player.
"Probably deep down he will feel hard done by if the club doesn't maybe give him another chance with a one year contract instead of three months.
“Often when a player who gets a serious injury and is in the last year of their contract they are still given an extension of six months or a year. That’s happened to a few players at Villa in the past.”
