Spanish footballer Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic accident, aged 35, his former club Sevilla said on Saturday.
“We couldn’t be announcing any worse news. Our beloved former youth player Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic accident. Rest in peace,” said a statement on Sevilla’s official Twitter account.
Reyes won 21 caps for Spain and played in the Premier League for Arsenal between 2004 and 2007. He was currently playing for Segunda Division side Extremadura.
Reyes made his senior debut for Sevilla at age 16 in 2000 before moving to Arsenal in 2004, where he was part of the “invincibles” that won the Premier League that season without losing a game.
He played a season on loan at Real Madrid winning the La Liga title and spent four years at city rivals Atletico.
He returned to his boyhood club Sevilla in 2012 going on to lift three consecutive Europa League titles between 2014 and 2016. He spent a season at Espanyol and then Chinese club Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard before returning to Spain to join Extremadura in January.
His last match was a 1-0 win at Alcorcon on May 18. Extremadura are due to face Cadiz away from home on Sunday