THE very sad news was announced this week that former Exeter City midfielder Paul Birch has died aged just 46 after failing to overcome bone cancer, which was first diagnosed last May.

Birch began his career at Aston Villa and featured in the same youth team as former City manager Noel Blake. It proved a very successful team and they reached the final of the FA Youth Cup.

Working his way through the youth system at Villa Park, Birch eventually made his first team debut on August 29, 1983, against Sunderland.

He had signed a full contract in August 1980 and went on to play 173 league matches for Villa, scoring 20 goals.

The West Bromwich-born midfielder was a popular figure at Villa, but when Dr Jozef Venglos became manager in 1990, he found himself out of favour.

He was transferred to rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers in February 1991 for a fee of £400,000, where he rejoined former Villa boss Graham Turner.

He returned to Villa for one more appearance — a well-earned testimonial against Wolves the following August to mark 10 years of service to the club.

Paul made his debut for Wolves on February 2, 1991 in a 2-1 home victory over West Ham United and stayed at the club for more than five years.

Birch netted 15 goals in 142 league appearances for the Molineux team. In his final season there, he was also loaned out to Preston North End in March 1996.

The midfielder then joined Doncaster Rovers, who were managed by Kerry Dixon, on a free transfer in June 1996. But despite playing 27 games and scoring twice for them, he reportedly fell out with club benefactor Ken Richardson and left.

It was from there that he arrived at Exeter City in March 1997, where his old mate Blake was player-assistant manager to boss Peter Fox.

His first game for the Grecians was against Mansfield Town, two days after he had signed for the club, on March 29, 1997.

However, he only managed one more appearance — a 2-1 win at his former club Doncaster Rovers — before being sidelined through injury.

The following season proved to be a much better one for Birch as he scored five goals as the Grecians ended the season in 15th place in Division Three.

He scored a memorable 25-yard strike that fizzed into the top corner in the 1-0 win over Swansea and also netted crucial goals against Barnet, Leyton Orient and Cambridge as he showed the class that had seen him excel at the top level. His last City goal was scored in the final game that he played for Exeter — a 3-1 defeat to promoted Macclesfield.

A few days later, after a total of 35 league outings and five goals for the club, Birch was released on a free and he joined Halesowen Town. In two seasons with them, he scored 31 goals in 75 appearances.

Birch, who then had a short spell as a postman, joined the coaching staff at Forest Green Rovers, who were managed by his former Villa teammate Nigel Spink.

He left Rovers in August 2003 to take up a role coaching the youth teams at Birmingham City.

In May 2008, it was revealed Birch was suffering from bone cancer and friends and former teammates rallied round by setting up a trust in his name.

A football match was arranged in July between Aston Villa Old Stars and Sutton United in aid of his fund.

After a long battle and spells of chemotherapy, Paul was recently allowed home from hospital, where he was cared for with the help of Macmillan nurses, but he was readmitted two weeks ago after being given the dreadful news that his condition had deteriorated.

Paul Birch died on February 2 at the Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.