Wayne Rooney was amongst those paying their final respects at Ricky Hatton’s funeral on Friday, with the former Manchester United and England striker appearing visibly moved before the service began. Hatton tragically died last month aged 46, leaving the boxing community devastated.
Countless heartfelt tributes have subsequently been offered to ‘The Hitman’, who ranked amongst Britain’s most celebrated and beloved fighters, with crowds gathering in Manchester on Friday to bid farewell to Hatton at his funeral. Former pugilists Tyson Fury and Tony Bellew were present at the ceremony, whilst Rooney was also spotted arriving alongside his wife, Coleen. The 39-year-old seemed to brush away tears before the service, which brought together Hatton’s loved ones and closest companions.
Rooney had carried Hatton’s championship belts into the arena prior to the boxer’s triumph over Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas in 2007, and delivered a heartfelt tribute to his mate on his podcast after learning of Hatton’s passing. He said: “Ricky was such a good lad and a good person.
“He is someone who captured the nation, in terms of the support he got, they followed him all around the world. I want to pay my condolences to his family and everyone who is really close to him. It is way too soon. It has not fully kicked in, it’s devastating. Heartbreaking.”
He added: “I am sure over the next few days from everyone across the country we will see a lot of messages and people will understand what a true gentleman and good person he was.”
Fury also honoured Hatton ahead of his funeral. On Friday morning, he shared a heartfelt video tribute on Instagram, saying: “Today is the day of Ricky Hatton’s funeral, and I am not going to be alone when I say this…Ricky inspired me as a young boy to go on and do great things in boxing.
“I wanted to be just like him; the ringwalks, the flashy shorts, the fans, the chanting. When I was a little kid, he was fighting for his world title in Manchester against Kostya Tszyu and I was there along with a lot of young proper kids who were also inspired by Ricky.
“So, without Ricky Hatton, Manchester would not have had, the North West would not have had, the UK would not have had so many boxing world champions…inspired by the great Richard ‘the Hitman’ Hatton. Rest in peace, Rick. See you soon, buddy.”
