Former Aston Villa player Paul Birch has passed away at the age of 46 after a long battle against bone cancer.
Ex-Villa man passes away, aged 46
Former Aston Villa player Paul Birch has passed away at the age of 46 after a long battle against bone cancer.
Birch began his career at Villa Park in 1980 and went on to become a popular figure in clocking up over 200 appearances for the Midlands outfit.
In 1991 he moved to Molineux where he played over 150 times for Wolves, before briefer spells at Preston, Doncaster United and Exeter City.
Career highlights included helping Villa to promotion to the top flight in 1988, while he was also part of the squad that finished second in Division One two years later.
A 19-year career saw Birch make 462 first class appearances before he hung up his boots in 1999.
