Former Gillingham loan footballer Jlloyd Samuel has been killed in a car crash at the age of 37.

The ex-Premier League star was involved in a collision after dropping his children off at school on Tuesday morning, Trinidad and Tobago’s football association said.

Cheshire Police said it was called to a serious crash involving a van and a Range Rover in the village of High Legh shortly before 8am.

“Sadly the driver of the car, Jlloyd Samuel, 37, from Lymm, died at the scene,” the force said.

“His next of kin have been informed and are currently being supported by specially trained officers.

“The driver of the van, a 54-year-old man, sustained serious injuries and has been taken to hospital for treatment.”

Tributes poured in from the world of football following news of Samuel’s death.

Manchester United star Ashley Young, who played with Samuel at Aston Villa, described him as “such a good guy on and off the pitch and a truly good friend”.

Former Tottenham captain Ledley King said he was “devastated” to lose one of his closest friends and he had exchanged messages with Samuel the night before his death.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa held a minute’s applause and their players wore black armbands in tribute to Samuel in their Championship play-off fixture against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night.

The Trinidad and Tobago FA said it extended its “deepest condolences” to Samuel’s family members “both in the UK and here in Trinidad and Tobago”.

Samuel played 199 times for Aston Villa between 1998 and 2007 and represented England at under 18, under 20 and under 21 level.

The full back left Villa Park to join Bolton in 2007, where he played 83 times until 2011.

He also had loan spells at Gillingham, playing eight games, and Cardiff City and played twice at international level for Trinidad and Tobago, the country he was born in.

Samuel played football in Iran in his later career, joining Esteghlal in 2011 – where he won the league and cup double – and Paykan in 2014.

Most recently he was player-manager for Egerton FC in the 12th tier of English football.