Rio Ferdinand has posted a sweet message for his fiancée Kate Wright to mark Mother’s Day.
The soccer star thanked Kate for keeping the memory of his late spouse Rebecca Ellison alive for his children.
Alongside a red heart emoji, he shared: "Thank you for all you do for the little munchkins. From keeping their mums memory alive, to constantly putting smiles on their faces. Love u (sic)"
Kate had previously admitted that she and the soccer pundit "just clicked" straight away when they first met.
She said: "Rio and I just clicked. I knew about the children and what had happened but at first I didn’t give it much thought. When you meet someone you’re just enjoying the moment, not thinking about how serious things might become. I fell in love with Rio, then I met the kids and fell in love with them. I realised, ‘Wow, my life is going to change.’ I couldn’t be part of his life and not part of theirs. I knew it would be a challenge, but if you love someone you go with it and deal with the difficult stuff … The way Rio’s coped and brought up his children is amazing. Without Rebecca being there, he had to take on a softer role. His children need to see love, and if you’re a hard man you can’t show that."
Kate also revealed that Rio’s kids – whose mother was Rebecca – all want her and their dad to have a baby together.
She said: "The kids would like a little brother or sister; they say, ‘I dreamt that you were pregnant.’ But right now we’re just happy with our little unit."
Rio Ferdinand posts message to Kate Wright on Mother’s Day
