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Boxing icon Ricky Hatton was found dead at his home on Sunday, and tributes have poured in for the former world champion, with Manchester United hero Gary Neville sharing his love
Manchester United icon Gary Neville has delivered a heartfelt tribute to former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton, following his death at the age of 46.
The Manchester favourite was found dead at his home over the weekend. After the announcement of the devastating news on Sunday, an outpouring of tributes from both the boxing community and the wider sporting world ensued.
A minute's silence was observed before the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium, with both clubs setting aside their rivalry to honour Hatton, a devoted Manchester City supporter.
His cherished team ultimately triumphed in the match with a 3-0 victory. After the derby, Neville took a moment to share his own poignant tribute.
On the Gary Neville podcast, he remarked: "The only smile you could possibly have is around Ricky Hatton, thinking that he's somewhere watching this game and his beloved Manchester City have won this match.
"Because to me today, I feel sick in my stomach, from the moment this morning, late morning, when that news broke through, that's the only thing really that's taken my mind today.
"Someone who is an unbelievable Mancunian, someone who carried Manchester all around the world, to America in massive fights, he lit up the city and the arenas of the city with his boxing, someone who went in and literally fought like everything hung on it every single time, a warrior.
"When you talk about football players and do they care? You never doubted that about Ricky Hatton when he went into the ring."
Neville spoke about the time they spent together, adding: "I met him a number of times in my life, grounded, earthy, a family man, someone you'd say, 'What a good lad.' I remember two or three years ago it was our Christmas party, and Ricky turned up, he wasn't invited.
"I remember having a drink with him, that was the sort of lad he was, whether you were blue or whether you were red, he cared about Manchester a lot and he cared about his country.
"Today is a devastating day, when you think of the love that he had for this club and the support that he gave to this football club, he would have absolutely loved this afternoon, he'd have been out tonight in Manchester with his mates having a beer, having a laugh and to think that's not going to happen again it's heartbreaking it really is."
Neville continued: "I'm a United fan, I wanted United to win, but the only potential sort of smile you could give that result is that Ricky would have enjoyed today. 46 years of age is no age and it will take quite a bit of time for the city to get over that news because he was a very, very popular man.
"He was someone that United fans loved, someone that City fans loved, all Mancunians loved and he did an awful lot for the city. He was a champion, a champion in the ring and a champion out of the ring."
The tragic news of Hatton's passing emerges shortly after confirmation that he was preparing for a comeback to boxing.
He was scheduled to participate in an exhibition fight with Eisa Dah from the United Arab Emirates in December, and had been sharing updates on social media of his training for the match.
English (US) ·