Aston Villa legend Gary Shaw lifeless at 63
Aston Villa legend Gary Shaw has passed away at age 63.
The 1982 European Cup winner had been hospitalised on September 9 due to a head injury from a fall.
Shaw made 213 appearances for his boyhood club and scored 79 goals.
He is regarded as one of Villa’s best forwards in the club’s 150-year history.
Villa announced the tragic news in a club statement and paid tribute to one of the heroes of their 1982 triumph.
Shaw (left) began his career with Aston Villa and went on to win three trophies with the club
Shaw (left) is an icon at Villa after he won the European Cup with the club back in 1982
Shaw made over 200 appearances for his boyhood club and scored 79 goals
‘Gary was one of our own, a talented striker who delighted supporters with his goalscoring exploits which helped fire Villa to success in the 1980s,’ the statement read.
‘Individual accolades would also follow for a player who was idolised by many on the terraces. He passed away peacefully earlier today surrounded by his family, who asked Aston Villa to release a statement on their behalf.
‘The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Gary’s family and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.’
Tributes from Villa fans and former players have flowed in on social media.
Club legend Brian Little wrote on X: ‘Gave Shawsy my number 8 shirt when I retired.. he took it to another level…. R.I.P. xx’.
Shaw, born in Kingshurst, Birmingham, in January 1961, became an apprentice at Villa in 1977 and went on to make his debut for the club the following year.
He quickly established himself as one of the top forwards in England and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year in 1981 after a season in which he scored 18 goals en route to Villa winning the League Championship.
Shaw also scored the first of Villa’s three goals in their 3-1 victory over Barcelona to win the 1982 European Super Cup.
He became an apprentice at Villa in 1977 and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award four years later
Shaw departed Villa in 1988 after his final years at the club were ruined by various injuries
The European Cup winner would be a regular visitor at Villa Park in the years after retirement
Sadly Shaw’s time at Villa Park was curtailed due to injury issues and eventually departed his boyhood club in 1988, where he went on to play in Denmark, Austria and Hong Kong.
After he retired in 1992, Shaw returned to Villa where he became a youth coach.
In recent years, Shaw was a constant presence at Villa Park where he entertained corporate guests with Q&A sessions.
