regular in the media room at Villa Park and other grounds during his work as a statistics analyst. But, of course, it is his feats on the pitch which will be his legacy. A league and European champion by the age of 21, it seemed Shaw had the world at his feet.

Aston Villa have waited over 40 years to operate on this grand stage and delivered the swagger of Champions League veterans in a fitting tribute to their golden boy Gary Shaw. Villa will face far tougher tests ahead but this was a fine return to Europe’s elite competition,

Aston Villa has returned to top-tier European competition after 41 years away with a 3-0 win over Swiss club Young Boys.