Rio Ferdinand speaks out for the first time since his wife Rebecca Ellison died

RIO Ferdinand has spoken publicly for the first time since his wife Rebecca Ellison lost her battle with cancer.

The former England captain said that it has been “the most difficult time of his life”.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, Rio praised the bravery of his wife Rebecca, who died from breast cancer on May 1, 2015 aged 34.

She leaves behind three children; Lorenz, nine, Tate, six, and four-year-old Tia.

He wrote: “To say this has been a tough time for me, the kids and the rest of the family is an understatement.

“It has been the most difficult period of my life, what with managing the emotions of our three children and watching such a great woman die without being able to do anything about it.”

He continued: “As footballers, we often talk about missing important games through injury as if it was the end of the world.

“Believe me, it isn’t when compared to your wife and mother of your children dying of cancer at the age of 34.

“Rebecca was an incredibly brave woman and a very private person who didn’t want anything about her illness to appear in the media while she was fighting for her life. Only a close-knit group of family and friends knew.”

Rio has not been able to maintain his commitment to the sport that he loves, and said that he feels “guilty” for letting the club down.

“I wanted to carry on for the team but I couldn’t make any promises,” he said.

“I admit I felt guilty that I was letting the club down in our relegation fight, none of the lads knew what what going on, but eventually I got the medical staff to let the players know.”

Rio added: “After Rebecca died, we held a service on a lovely sunny day which was arranged to perfection.”

Our thoughts are with Rio’s friends and family at this difficult time.

OK Magazine