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Unai Emery wants Aston Villa to honour memory of Gary Shaw

Unai Emery called on Villa’s players to honour the memory of club legend Gary Shaw by winning their Champions League opener tonight.

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery ahead of the Premier League match at the London Stadium. Picture date: Saturday August 17, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER West Ham. Photo credit should read: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire...RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications..

Shaw’s death at the age of 63 has overshadowed Villa’s return to the top table of European competition, with Emery paying his condolences ahead of tonight’s group stage opener against Young Boys of Bern.

Villa’s players will wear black armbands in Switzerland but the manager believes there would be no finer tribute to Shaw than by making a winning start to the competition.

“My condolences to the family and all the supporters at Villa,” said Emery.

“We have a memory always, in our training ground a picture of 1982 and the European Cup he was a protagonist of that. My condolences to them.

“I think it’s sad but we can use it to inspire us.”