Advertisement

'Jose Antonio Reyes was my idol' - Dani Ceballos' touching tribute to Arsenal 'Invincible'

Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Dani Ceballos has paid tribute to Jose Antonio Reyes on the anniversary of the former Arsenal player's death, declaring his pride that he is able to follow in Reyes' footsteps.

Reyes died on June 1, 2019 when his Mercedes crashed at high speed on the A376 between Seville and his hometown of Utrera in Spain.

The vehicle caught fire after colliding with a barrier beside the road. The crash killed Reyes along with one of his cousins, while another cousin survived after suffering severe injuries.

Reyes was a popular figure at Arsenal after joining the Gunners from Sevilla in January 2004, with the forward helping the Gunners claim the Premier League title as part of an unbeaten Invincibles squad.

(Getty)
(Getty)

Reyes also won the FA Cup during his time in north London before returning to Spain, first joining Real Madrid on loan before sealing a permanent switch to rivals Atletico in 2007.

The forward spent five years with Atletico (with a year on loan at Benfica) and won two Europa League titles, which was to become his speciality after returning to Sevilla.

Reyes won the competition three times in a row between 2014 and 2016, cementing his reputation as a club legend.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Reyes eventually moved on and spent time in China before signing for Extremadura in January 2019.

Following Reyes' death five months later, scores of people from across football attended his funeral in Utrera, and Ceballos - who has followed Reyes' path from Utrera to north London with a loan from Real Madrid - has hailed Reyes' impact on his life, their hometown, and Spanish football.

"I joined Arsenal not long after Reyes died," Ceballos said. "He was on my mind a lot around that time because I'm sure he would have got in touch to give me recommendations on good stuff to do here in London.

"That was impossible because of his death, which was sad news for the world of football.

"I'm sure he's up there, proud that I'm following in his footsteps. And I'm proud to be following in his footsteps."

Ceballos continued: "Jose's death was a huge tragedy, not just for me but for the world of football. He was a really important player for Spain and it's a shame that he left us at such a young age.

"Well, the family is trying to come to terms with the tragic death of their son. I spoke to his father and he congratulated me on signing for Arsenal.

"He told me that it was a massive club where his son had come a long way. I feel a lot of affinity with him because I'm from Utrera too and now I've joined Arsenal, just like he did before me.

"Reyes started playing professionally at a very young age - if I remember rightly he was only 16. From there, his career came on in leaps and bounds to the point where he was able to sign for Arsenal.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

"He went on to play in European Championships, World Cups... as a player he was an icon, not just for me but for Spanish football as a whole, because he played for the biggest clubs in Spain and won titles everywhere he went.

"Well, aside from the footballing side of things I admired him on a personal level because he was from the same village as me. He was the only elite player we had at the time. He was a really bold player - I remember one match when he was playing for Sevilla against Real Madrid.

"He was up against Roberto Carlos and he looked like he'd be playing at the top level for ten years, but he'd only just made the step up from the yout academy.

"He was definitely one of my idols. It was a proud moment for a player from Utrera to leave Spain and sign for a club like Arsenal, who had top players like Thierry, [Robert] Pires and [Freddie] Ljungberg.

"He joined very young but was able to make big steps forward in his career."

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Beyond football, Ceballos remembers Reyes as a humble man who loved his hometown.

"I remember after he died, the people in Utrera... the streets were empty, the pain was immense. It was a tragic time. As far as I know it's the worst thing that has ever happened in Utrera.

"He was loved by the whole village and it was shocking news both for me and for the village of Utrera as a whole.

"Jose always had time for people, especially kids. He was always out and about around the village and he always held himself very well.He was a very well-known person around Utrera and he loved being in his village, with his people... that meant that the people treated him like a regular guy.

"He was always a humble, simple person and you saw that throughout his career."