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Former England and Aston Villa defender Ugo Ehiogu has died aged 44, Tottenham Hotspur confirms. The Under-23’s coach was taken to hospital yesterday after suffering a heart attack.

The club’s head of coaching and player development, John McDermott said: ‘Words cannot express the shock and sadness that we all feel at the club. Ugo’s immense presence will be irreplaceable. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to his wife Gemma and his family.’

Ugo Ehiogu of Aston Villa is surrounded by fans after the Coca Cola Cup semi-final against Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, 1996. @ Ben Radford/Allsport

The ex-West Brom, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Leeds, Rangers and Sheffield United defender, Ehiogu was also a keen music fan. He set up the label Dirty Hit with Jamie Oborne and Brian Smith in 2009. On their current roster, you’ll find The 1975, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Wolf Alice, Fossil Collective and others.

In an interview for Sky Sports in 2010, he admitted: ‘Before a game I used to get psyched-up to a bit of Bon Jovi!’

Our thought are with his family.