Former Burton Albion footballer Kelvin Maynard has been shot dead in Amsterdam by two men riding a motorbike, police said.
The 32-year-old defender was gunned down in his car after being chased by armed men on motorbikes in the Langbroekdreef area of the city last night.
Dutch police are appealing for witnesses in the hunt for two suspects who Dutch authorities say escaped on a black scooter.
Maynard was trying to flee the gunmen by driving towards a nearby fire station, but he crashed into the building.
Witnesses say the defender tried to get away but got caught by a hail of bullets from his attackers, according to De Telegraaf.
Kelvin Maynard playing in a pre season friendly match between Burton Albion and Leicester City at Pirelli Stadium in 2015
Maynard’s car was seen crashed into a fire station after he was repeatedly shot at as he drove through the Langbroekdreef area of Amsterdam
A police car parked outside the fire station in Amsterdam, where Maynard’s car hit the facade after the shooting last night
Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him and officers from the fire station also battled to help Maynard, but he later died of his injuries, according to local media.
A police spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the fatal victim of the shooting incident on Langbroekdreef last night was 32-year-old Kelvin Maynard.
‘The investigation into his death is in full swing.’
Dutch-Surinamese player Maynard, spent time at Royal Antwerp in Belgium and was at non-league club Alphense Boys, around 28 miles (45km) south of Amsterdam.
His club said on its website: ‘Our deepest condolences go to the wife and children of Kelvin, his family and friends.’
The club’s match against Hollandia, which was due to be played on Saturday night, has been postponed.
Maynard joined Burton in November 2014 following Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s appointment as manager.
Kevin Maynard (right) celebrating winning the championship with his teammates at Dutch side FC Volendam in 2008
Former Burton Albion and Antwerp footballer Kelvin Maynard was shot and killed in Amsterdam. He is pictured (above) during a pre-season game in July 2015 against the eventual Premier League winners that season, Leicester City
Burton said in a statement: ‘Everyone at Burton Albion is saddened to learn of the tragic death of our former player Kelvin Maynard.
‘Our sympathies go out to all his family and friends at this difficult time.’
In a tweet the club added: ‘During his time at #BAFC, Kevin was fantastic out in the local community on many projects.’
Joop Gall, who coached Maynard at FC Emmen, expressed his shock at hearing the news of his death.
He told Dutch newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden: ‘I am lost for words. Has he been murdered? I can’t comprehend what happened. I obviously don’t know what he did outside of the game, but he was a great guy. Very friendly.’
On his arrival in England in 2014, Maynard said: ‘I’m very excited. It was always a dream for me to play in England. We got promoted last year and we can now look forward to playing in League One.’
Forensic police investigate the scene at a fire station in Amsterdam where a car hit the facade after footballer Kevin Maynard was gunned down
He scored one goal for Burton but only featured in 10 matches as injury blighted his time at the Brewers.
However the team won the 2014/15 League Two title and were promoted to the Championship, but Maynard was ruled out for the following campaign after suffering a knee injury in a pre-season game.
Maynard left Burton in January 2017 to join Dutch side SV Spakenburg.
The defender also played for Kecskemet, FC Volendam and Olhanense, Quick Boys, Portugal’s Sporting Clube Olhanense and Hungary’s Kecskemeti TE.
Maynard’s murder came on the same day a prominent Dutch lawyer, involved in a case against a gang accused of drug-related killings, was gunned down in front of his Amsterdam home.
Police said they do not believe the two killings are linked, but will consider the possibility during their investigations.
Alarm has been growing over crime in Amsterdam, a city of 800,000 people where recreational drug use has long been tolerated by law enforcement, creating an underworld of dealers and suppliers which sometimes fuels violence.
