22-year-old footballer Luca Meixner found dead in his bed

GERMAN club SSV Reutlingen have announced the shock death of player Luca Meixner, Report informs via The Sun.

The 22-year-old was found dead in his bed over the festive period.

Meixner broke into SSV's first team in 2021 and has played for the club since he was a youngster.

A statement from Ruetlingen on Instagram read: "Last weekend we received the terrible news that our player Luca Meixner died unexpectedly on Friday, December 27th at the age of 22. The entire SSV family is deeply saddened and stunned. His teammates, all committees and employees mourn with Luca's bereaved family and our thoughts are with his family, friends and companions. We ask that the privacy of Luca's family be respected during this difficult time."

Meixner began his career in SSV's youth teams, breaking into the under-17 ranks in 2017.