Jose Antonio Reyes dead at 35: Arsenal's Invincible hero killed in car crash

ARSENAL legend Jose Antonio Reyes has tragically been killed in a car crash at the age of 35.

The former Spanish international was part of the Gunners' Invincibles side that went unbeaten in the 2003/04 Premier League season.

According to Marca, Reyes was involved in a collision on Saturday morning in Seville.

His former side Sevilla tweeted: "We couldn't be confirming worse news.

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

While Freddie Ljungberg said: "Numbed by the news about my former team-mate, Jose Antonio Reyes. Gone far too soon, my thoughts are with his family and friends."

While Arsenal fan Piers Morgan said: "Desperately sad & shocking news… Jose Antonio Reyes, whose crucial late season goals helped Arsenal become the ‘Invincibles’ in 2004, has been killed in a car crash aged just 35. RIP."

Reyes burst onto the scene at Sevilla at the age of 16, where he became the club's youngest player to make his first team debut.

His standout performances caught the eye of Arsene Wenger, who brought him to Highbury in January 2004 in a deal rising to £17m.

He endeared himself to the Gunners faithful straight away – netting a superb double against Chelsea to knock them out of the FA Cup.

Reyes netted five times before the close of the 2003/04 campaign, where he become the first Spaniard to win the Premier League title after forging a formidable partnership with Thierry Henry.

After helping the club win the FA Cup and Community Shield the following year, Reyes joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2006 after banging in 23 goals in 110 games for Arsenal.

While he was also influential in helping the North London side reach the Champions League final in 2006, where Barcelona emerged victorious.

And just like he did at with the Gunners supporters, he became a firm fan favourite at the Bernabeu after playing a key role in Los Blancos winning their first La Liga title in four years.

He came off the bench to replace David Beckham on the final day of the season against Mallorca where he netted twice to win the title for Real.

More to follow…

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