Prince William breaks silence on Gary Shaw's death ahead of Aston Villa's big game

Prince William has shared a special message of support to Aston Villa.

As they prepare for their opening match in the Champions League, the Prince and Princess of Wales official Instagram handle shared a good luck message.

The match, which takes place in Switzerland against Young Boys, marks the club's return to Europe’s top competition after a 41-year absence.

William expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "The last time Aston Villa won in the top European competition, it was the month before I was born. Let’s hope tonight is the first step towards another European adventure."

He also shared his condolences regarding the recent passing of Gary Shaw, a former Villa striker and one of the club’s European Cup-winning heroes. "My thoughts this evening are also with Villa legend Gary Shaw’s friends and family following his passing yesterday."

Shaw’s death on September 16 has deeply impacted the Aston Villa community. The club released a statement mourning his loss, "Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away. 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."

"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," it further read.