Rio Ferdinand has shared a touching message to his fiance Kate Wright on Mother’s Day to thank her for helping to keep the memory of his late wife alive for his children.
The former Manchester United footballer’s wife and mother of his three children Rebecca Ellison died in 2015 after being diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time.
Since Ferdinand started dating Wright in January 2017, she has become an important and supportive figure in his children’s – Tia, seven, Tate, 10 and Lorenz, 12 – lives.
Showing his appreciation on Mother’s Day, Ferdinand shared two pictures on Instagram of his children with Wright, who found fame starring in TOWIE.
“Thank you for all you do for the little munchkins,” he wrote.
“From keeping their mum’s memory alive, to constantly putting smiles on their faces. Love u.”
Thousands liked and shared the post, with scores of people praising Wright as a role model.
One wrote: “It’s one thing to raise another women’s kids, but then to do everything in her powers to keep their mum’s memory alive. Inspirational from her.”
“Beautiful human,” another said. “You [Kate] are an inspiration to many people and a beautiful soul, to have someone that not only loves you but keeps your wife’s memory alive for the kids is really something else, that’s super special and she deserves the world.”
Wright and Ferdinand announced their engagement after nearly two years together in November 2018, when the former footballer proposed in Abu Dhabi in front of his three children.
BT Sport pundit Ferdinand last year opened up about his romance with Wright, hailing it a “positive” effect on his life while overcoming grief.
He told This Morning: “I’m happy again, and in a relationship and it’s going well.
“The kids are also happy, they deserve to be after going through tragedy in the last few years of their life. There’s not been one stage of going into this relationship where they’ve not been involved.”
