FORMER ARSENAL FOOTBALLER Jose Antonio Reyes has died at the age of 35 following a car crash in Spain.

The Spaniard was involved in a serious car accident today, his former club Sevilla said in a statement. 

They wrote on Twitter: “We couldn’t be confirming worse news. Beloved Sevilla star José Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic collision. Rest in peace.”

Reyes, who shot to fame at Sevilla before a switch to Arsenal, followed by spells at Real and Atletico Madrid, was on the books with second-tier Spanish club Extremadura.

The emergency services in Andalusia and the authorities in the player’s home town, Utrera, said Reyes died in an accident on the main road from Sevilla to Utrera. They said another member of his family also died and a third person was injured.

Spain captain Sergio Ramos, who is also from the province of Seville, came through the youth team just after Reyes and later played with him at Real Madrid also tweeted his grief.  

“Broken. Shattered,” wrote Ramos. “I have no words. All the affection for the family. We will always remember you, my friend! RIP brother.”

Reyes won a European under-21 title with Spain in 2002 and went on to play 21 times for Spain between 2003 and 2006, scoring four goals.

He won Premier League and FA Cup medals at Arsenal and came on as a late substitute when the Gunners lost the 2006 Champions League final to Barcelona.