Rio Ferdinand says ‘amazing’ kids ‘inspire me daily’ as Man Utd legend shares heartwarming Instagram post after tragic death of wife Rebecca

RIO FERDINAND has revealed his "amazing" kids "inspire him daily" after sharing a heartwarming Instagram post after the tragic death of his wife Rebecca Ellison.

The Manchester United legend, 40, lost Rebecca, the mother of his three children, at the age of 34 in 2015 to breast cancer.

But four years on and Ferdinand has revealed he is "inspired" by his kids and fiancee Kate Wright.

The former England defender shared an image of his three children - Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11, and Tia, 8 - hugging on a beach.

Ferdinand captioned the snap: ";Maaaaaan, did I ever think I’d see these three as happy and as full of life again... probably not at certain times.

"A lot has been thrown in their young paths but the resilience and character they have shown has been amazing.

"Living under one roof with four people that inspire me daily is a blessing."

Following Rebecca's death, Rio admitted  his "world collapsed" and he turned to alcohol to deal with his grief.

But the former football star turned his life around in order to focus on being the best dad he could be for his three children.

He then met former Towie star Kate - and the pair announced their engagement in November 2018.

In 2017, The Sun exclusively revealed Kate was quitting the showbiz life to become a full-time mum to Rio's children.

She said: “I’m taking a step back from the public eye, I want to keep my life private as I lived my previous relationship on Towie, my priority right now is Rio and the family.”

Two years on and the family appear happy and well - with Ferdinand's latest post enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.