A sea of claret and blue flooded Birmingham as thousands of Aston Villa fans welcomed home the team as heroes after their Europa League cup triumph.
More than 20,000 supporters were estimated to have been in Centenary Square on Thursday to see the players lift the trophy – the club’s first in 30 years – less than 24 hours after a 3-0 victory against Freiburg in Istanbul.
Hundreds more lined the streets, with some arriving hours in advance to pick the best spots to see the team’s bus parade through the city.
It was an emotional occasion for fans gathered in the city centre, where claret and blue smoke billowed from flares as flags were flown.