Jose Antonio Reyes dead: Former Spain and Arsenal star killed in car crash

Posted Sunday, June 02, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk

JOSE ANTONIO REYES has died in a car crash.

La Liga club Sevilla announced the sad news by posting a brief statement on Twitter on Saturday.

"We couldn't be confirming worse news," it read.

"Beloved Sevilla star Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic collision. Rest in peace."

Jose Antonio Reyes was 35 at the time of his death and most recently played for Spanish side Extremadura.

Reyes began his career at Sevilla having come through the ranks of the Andalusian side's youth setup.

He moved to the Premier League with Arsenal in January 2004, as Arsene Wenger forked out £17m to get him on board.

Arsenal remembered Reyes, whose first season at Highbury ended in title glory with the Invincibles, by posting statement on their website.

"Everyone at Arsenal is devastated by the shocking news that our former player Jose Antonio Reyes has died in a traffic collision in Spain," it read.

Jose Antonio Reyes dead: Former Spain and Arsenal star killed in car crash (Image: GETTY)

"Our thoughts are with all his family, friends and team-mates.

"Jose, who was part of the Invincibles team, was a hugely popular figure at our club and will always hold a special place in our hearts.

"He represented the club on 110 occasions, scoring 23 times and made memorable contributions to our 49-game unbeaten run.

"Rest in peace, Jose."

Jose Antonio Reyes dead: Former Spain and Arsenal star killed in car crash (Image: GETTY)

Reyes won the Community Shield with Arsenal in 2004, going on to secure the FA Cup the following May.

Reyes spent another two years on Arsenal’s books, helping the Gunners reach the 2006 Champions League final, before spending the final 12 months of that stint on loan at Real Madrid.

Reyes then returned to Spain on a permanent basis, joining Atletico Madrid, who loaned him to Benfica for the 2008/9 campaign.

Atletico marked Reyes’ passing with a post of their own on Twitter.

Jose Antonio Reyes dead: Former Spain and Arsenal star killed in car crash (Image: GETTY)

"The Atletico de Madrid family is in mourning. Our former player Jose Antonio Reyes has passed away," they said.

"You will forever be in our hearts. Rest in peace."

Sevilla re-signed Reyes in 2012 and he went on to play for Espanyol, Cordoba, Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard and Extremadura after winning three consecutive Europa League titles under current Arsenal boss Unai Emery.

Reyes was capped 21 times by Spain, netting four goals for his country, with whom he won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2002.