Aston Villa paid tribute to former defender Jlloyd Samuel on Tuesday after he was killed in a car accident in Cheshire. He was 37.

The home side wore black armbands for their Sky Bet Championship play-off second leg against Middlesbrough at Villa Park.

There was also a minute’s applause before the game while fans chanted the defender’s name ahead of kick off.

During the applause Villa’s big screens showed Samuel’s two league goals for the club – both against Charlton during the 2003-04 season.

In a statement, Cheshire Police said Samuel died following a crash involving the 4×4 he was driving and a van at High Legh, near Warrington.

A spokesman for the force said: “At around 7.55am police were called following reports of a collision involving a van and a Range Rover near to Costcutter on West Lane.

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

“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.”

Samuel was born in Trinidad before moving to England where he represented London Schoolboys teams.

He played youth football for Charlton before joining Aston Villa, where he made 199 appearances between 1999 and 2007.

Samuel was capped by England from Under-18 to Under-21 level and was an unused substitute for a senior international against Sweden in 2004.

He attempted to switch international allegiance before Trinidad and Tobago played at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Although his application was rejected by FIFA because he was over 21 at the time, he represented Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and won two caps.

Samuel also played for Bolton and had loan spells at Gillingham and Cardiff before ending his playing career in Iran in 2015.

Tributes flooded in after Samuel’s death was announced with Manchester United’s Ashley Young, a former Villa team-mate, tweeting: “Absolutely gutted to hear the news of the passing of Jlloyd Samuel.

“Took me under his wing when I joined Villa and helped me settle.

“Such a good guy on and off the pitch and a truly good friend. Condolences to Emma, his kids and the Samuel family. RIP J”

Another former Villa player, Stan Collymore, added: “Devastating news about J Lloyd Samuel. Was a fantastic young pro @AVFCOfficial and I know many at our club will be truly distraught today.

“I know our club will honour him tonight and remainder of the season. Rest in peace Jay.”

Villa posted on their official Twitter account: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our former player Jlloyd Samuel at the age of just 37 in a car accident.

“Our players will wear black armbands as a mark of respect tonight and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this very difficult time.”

Bolton, Cardiff and Gillingham were among the many clubs to pay tribute to Samuel, while the official England Twitter account also expressed their sadness at the news.

“Jlloyd played for the #YoungLions at U18, U20 and U21 levels, and was called up to the senior squad in 2004. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all who knew him.”