Ex-footballer who turned to life of drugs and crime found dead in flat

A former football starlet who played for Scotland has been found dead from a suspected drug overdose at the age of 33.

Andrew Shaw, who played for Hearts and represented Scotland at youth level, was found in a flat in Perth this week.

He had recently been released early from Perth Prison after completing half of a two-year sentence for a drug-fuelled crimewave.

Shaw had dropped out of football after failing to make the senior grade and joined the Army before seeing frontline action in Afghanistan.

After quitting the Army he returned to Perth and began to dabble with drugs before turning to crime to fund his burgeoning habit.

He told the city’s sheriff court that he believed he was suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of his military service.

A former friend said: “Andy had been a really talented footballer when he was at school and he hoped to make a career of it.

“Unfortunately that never happened for him and that was really when he started going off the rails.”

In August last year, Shaw was jailed for two years after committing 18 offences during a three year, drug-fuel led crimewave.

He had been granted bail 10 times during the crime spree, but Sheriff William Wood finally ran out of patience and gave him a lengthy spell behind bars.

Shaw admitted 18 separate offences dating back to November 2016 when he stole a charity box from a branch of Greggs in Perth.

Solicitor David Holmes said: “Drugs have been the root of his problems. He had been in the Army and had some mental health issues on his discharge, but that was some time ago.

“He has had a multitude of arrests for theft. He is often arrested under the influence of drugs.”

The court also heard that Shaw had completed a Scottish Football Association coaching course while being held on remand in prison.

Andrew Shaw.