England striker Gary Shaw, who won the 1982 European Champion Clubs’ Cup with Aston Villa, died on Monday at the age of 63, his former club announced.
The “Villans” legend was recently hospitalized after injuring his head in a fall.
“Aston Villa are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of the passing of Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes,” the Birmingham club said in a statement. “He passed away peacefully earlier today, surrounded by his family, who have asked Aston Villa to make a statement on his behalf.”
Shaw was part of the team that won the English Premier League title in 1981, before creating a sensation the following year by lifting the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
Named best young player in 1981 by the Professional Football Association (PFA), and selected seven times by the Espoirs, he never played for the English first team.
Born in Birmingham, Shaw made his Villans debut at 17 and scored 79 goals in 213 appearances for the club, including 20 in the title-winning season of 1980-81.
After a decade at the club and his progress slowed by a knee injury, he played in Denmark, Austria and Scotland before ending his career in Hong Kong in 1991.
Shaw later worked as a statistical analyst and ambassador for Villa.
