Aston Villa has announced plans for an open-top bus victory parade through Birmingham city centre today, Thursday 21 May, following last night's UEFA Europa League final triumph in Istanbul.

A 3-0 win over SC Freiburg at Beşiktaş Park guided Villa to a first European triumph since that famous night in Rotterdam 44 years ago, with the current claret and blue vintage immortalising their names in the club's history books.

The parade will begin on Branston Street in the Jewellery Quarter at approximately 4.30pm and cover a route of approximately 4.5km, taking in Sand Pits, Broad Street and Centenary Square. The parade is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes.

After returning from Istanbul today, the squad is due to undertake a full training session on Friday, before travelling to Manchester on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s final Premier League fixture of the season against Manchester City.

Birmingham Pride also takes place in the city centre on Monday 25 May, and many players are due to report to their international squads ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Together, these factors made today the only viable option, the club has said.

For more information, visit: avfc.co.uk