Gary Shaw, the European Cup-winning former Aston Villa striker, died after hitting his head in a fall from a taxi following a night out with friends, an inquest heard.

Shaw, one of the most decorated players in Villa’s history, was discovered collapsed in the street by a neighbour after he fell and hit his head on a kerb on Sept 6 this year.

His inquest took place after Telegraph Sport reported last week how his medals, including the one he was awarded for the 1982 European Cup final triumph, have been put up for auction by a mystery seller.

The items were set to go under the hammer on Thursday through Telford-based auctioneer Mullock Jones Auctioneers & Valuers, with a guide price of £50,000.

During 10 years at Villa between 1978 and 1988, Shaw won the European Cup, the First Division (now Premier League) title and the European Super Cup. He also won the Young Player of the Year, the Bravo Award for Europe’s most outstanding young player, and was part of the PFA Team of the Year.

Birmingham Coroner’s Court heard on Thursday how Shaw died surrounded by his family in hospital 10 days after his fall. He had been for a night out at the Jam House in Birmingham city centre and was put in a taxi by friends at around 1.30am. But as he got out of the cab, he fell and hit his head on a kerb before being found in the early hours by a neighbour who phoned an ambulance.

Shaw was taken to the city’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital but his condition deteriorated and he died 10 days later on Sept 16 this year after suffering a “severe head injury”.

Birmingham Coroner Louise Hunt recorded that Shaw died as a result of an accident. At the inquest, Shaw was described as a single man who had been a professional footballer. Philip Cutler, his brother-in-law, said in a statement: “Some time after he got out of the taxi, [he] fell and hit his head on the kerb side and was rendered unconscious. It was some time between 2am and 3am he was found and an ambulance called.”

A doctor said in a statement Shaw had suffered an extensive and diffused head injury and that no surgical intervention was possible. He was stabilised and put on the critical care unit. He had a CT scan on Sept 9 which showed a deterioration in the brain and he died on Sept 16.

Shaw was named the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year in 1981 and European Young Player of the Year in 1982.

The former England Under-21s striker also played for Blackpool, Walsall, Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury Town. He worked as a statistical analyst after retiring from football in 1992 and was a club ambassador at Villa Park.