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Aston Villa post tribute to lifelong fan Benjamin Zephaniah following the poet's death aged 65 after brain tumour diagnosis

Aston Villa and the Aston Villa Foundation have posted a touching tribute to poet Benjamin Zephaniah after the 65-year-old died today.

Born in Birmingham in 1958, Zephaniah had dyslexia and was kicked out of school at just 13 years of age unable to read or write.

But that would not stop him as he went on to rise to prominence, writing poetry about social injustice and the aftermath of empire. He would even be seen in BBC's Peaky Blinders.

His place of birth would lead Zephaniah to become an Aston Villa fan as he would attend matches with his brother and his uncle Simpson.