Football fans have come out in their droves to pay tribute to former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender Ugo Ehiogu, who died in the early hours of Friday morning at the age of 44.

The ex-England international, who joined Tottenham Hotspur's coaching setup in 2014, suffered a cardiac arrest while working with the Under-23s on Thursday.

The Premier League club confirmed that Ehiogu received treatment at the training centre before being taken to hospital.

Ehiogu is best known for his spells at Villa and Middlesbrough, where he won the League Cup twice in Birmingham and once on Teesside.

He spent nine years playing for the Midlands outfit before switching to Boro, where he had a seven-year stint, racking up his appearances to more than 350.

The defender also played for West Bromwich Albion, Leeds United, Rangers and Sheffield United.

In terms of his international career, Ehiogu represented England on four occasions.

A host of football clubs have taken to Twitter to pay their respects, while fans have also expressed their sadness and shock at the devastating news.

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