Pompey manager Graham Rix has paid tribute to Aaron Flahavan, a player who had been central to his plans for the new Nationwide League season which kicks off on Saturday.

Rix, along with the rest of the Fratton Park club, were rocked to their foundations yesterday morning when news filtered through that the popular goalkeeper had been killed in a car accident near Bournemouth.

Rix said: "It's really sad. I feel for his family. He was a really smashing young lad."

Flahavan made his first team debut against Bradford City in 1996, going on to play 24 games that season.

He played 26 games the following season, but his career was in jeopardy in 1998 when he blacked out and collapsed in a league match against Swindon.

The following September, during a Worthington Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers, Flahavan buckled and fell forward.

Subsequent tests ruled out epilepsy or a serious heart condition, but suggested that the goalkeeper's collapse could have been caused by "a drop in blood pressure for a matter of seconds for a faint to occur."

Pompey said they would counter this with the club doctor prescribing medication which he would take before matches.

Since then, Flahavan has had to battle to keep the number one shirt, ahead of Russell Hoult, Andy Petterson and Chris Tardif.

The one major blip to his career came in February 2000 when he and Pompey team-mate Rory Allen were fined £750 by magistrates for their part in a drunken fracas at the TGIF restaurant at Park Gate, Fareham.

However, Flahavan was a popular player, well liked by both his team-mates and the staff.

A club statement read: "Everybody at the club is shocked and devastated by the news and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and partner at this time.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with them in their grief.

"Many people at the club have watched Aaron grow up and mature into a fine young man and goalkeeper.

"For now it's hard to take in, but first and foremost our sincere condolences go out to his family."

Ex-Olympic sprinter David Dear, head of PE at Bitterne Park where Flahavan was a pupil, was horrified to learn of Flahavan's death.

He said: "I looked on Ceefax yesterday for some athletics news and it was major headlines. I couldn't believe it.

"As a schoolboy, Aaron was head shoulders above all the other keepers ability-wise.

"He was a nice lad too. Often when lads get attached to professional clubs, they became arrogant and full of themselves, but Aaron definitely wasn't one of those."