Aston Villa legend Gary Shaw obituary
Gary Shaw trod the fairytale path from apprentice to European Cup winner with his home-city club in an Aston Villa career that proved as indelible as it was fleeting.
After signing professional terms on his 18th birthday, the blond striker adapted with aplomb to the top level and was the only local boy in the side that beat Bayern Munich on that famous night in Rotterdam in 1982.
Yet within a year of Villa's epic victory, Shaw suffered a knee injury in a match against Nottingham Forest that curtailed his progress and ultimately saw him retire from the game after six operations in 1988.
By the time the end of his career came, Shaw, who scored 79 goals in 213 games for Villa, had done more than enough to earn his place in the club's folklore.
