Rio: I am finding it difficult to move on
FOOTIE ACE OPENS UP
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RIO Ferdinand has revealed how he regrets not talking to his Manchester United team-mates about his wife’s cancer.
The heartbroken ex-England star says he felt he could not open up because of football’s “macho” mentality.
He said he wished he had spoken to the likes of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick about wife Rebecca’s breast cancer and revealed it was proving difficult to move on.
Shocks
Rio, 38, spoke about his wife’s death on This Morning ahead of last night’s BBC documentary, Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad. He talked about dealing with Rebecca’s death in 2015 and looking after their three children.
He told presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby one of the biggest shocks to the system was getting the kids off to school.
He said: “I wished I’d opened up to my team-mates but definitely, in my personal life, I wish I’d talked more. I was taught to not show any emotion, don’t talk too much and just be hard-nosed and get on with things, and then I went into a career which is very much the same in the dressing room.
“Macho, ego, and any sign of weakness, I would be the first one to get that person out of the changing room.”
Rio was asked about moving on and his new relationship with Towie star Kate Wright but said it was too early to talk about it.
He said: “There’s no given time.
“I’ve still got my wedding ring on.”