Shane Williams has thrown down the gauntlet to the star-studded Ospreys by demanding silverware this season.

The Wales wing concedes that the Ospreys "under-achieved" last season despite winning the EDF Energy Cup.

"The potential of the squad is amazing and our strength in depth is one of the best you're going to see in European club rugby," Williams told BBC Sport.

"We feel we let ourselves down in the last couple of seasons, especially in the Heineken Cup."

Williams epitomises the big-spending Ospreys' enormous ambitions and the 31-year-old winger has sent a tub-thumping message to his fellow "galacticos" at the Liberty Stadium on the eve of the new Magners League season.

The double Grand Slam hero, who is on the bench for the Ospreys' league opener in Connacht on Friday, has tasted ultimate glory with his country but winning the Anglo-Welsh competition is not enough for player or club.

The Ospreys are desperate to conquer Europe and boast a squad of international stars.

Williams, Gavin Henson, Ryan Jones, James Hook, Mike Phillips, Alun Wyn Jones, Lee Byrne and new-signing Tommy Bowe are all on course for a call to the prestigious Lions tour to South Africa next summer.

606: DEBATE Are the Ospreys strong enough to conquer Europe?

"We do need big silverware," said Williams, who won the Celtic League crown with the Ospreys in 2005 and 2007.

"We felt we had a really good chance in Europe last season when we qualified for the quarter-final but unfortunately we threw it away.

"We were beaten by Saracens who were the better team on the day but we didn't do ourselves justice.

"The fact we had not been in that position before possibly let us down.

"Perhaps we thought we could win the game without performing to our highest standards and we let ourselves down - and no-one was hurt more than the lads."

Coach Lyn Jones paid the price for the Ospreys' Heineken Cup failure and parted company with the team.

But new elite performance director Andrew Hore has not found a suitable replacement despite a worldwide search.

Jones' assistant, Sean Holley, has taken over indefinitely until the vacancy is filled permanently but Williams and the Ospreys are fuelled by determination to make amends and aim to become the first Welsh rulers of Europe.

"With our squad, we've got to aim high," he said.