David Beckham has shared a heartfelt tribute to footballer Johan Cruyff, who has died of cancer aged 68. Sharing an old photo of the Dutch footballer on Instagram, David described Johan as the "nicest person you could meet".
"My thoughts and love are with the friends and family of not just one of the best footballers in the history of the game but also one of the greatest men and nicest person you could meet…" David wrote. "The game lost a true hero today. Rest in Peace @fcbarcelona @england."
David Beckham paid tribute to footballer Johan Cruyff
Johan passed away at his home in Barcelona on Thursday, with the sad news announced on his official website.
"On March 24 2016 Johan Cruyff (68) died peacefully in Barcelona, surrounded by family after a hard fought battle with cancer," a statement said. "It's with great sadness that we ask you to respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."
Johan was regarded as one of football's greatest ever players and played for Holland, Ajax and Barcelona, before eventually going on to manage two of his former clubs in the 1980s and 90s. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2015, but recently said that he felt he was "2-0 up in a match" against the disease and he was "sure I will end up winning".
© Photo: Getty ImagesJohan presented David with a UEFA Best Player of the Year Award in 1999
A statement released by the star in February said: "After several medical treatments I can say that the results have been very positive, thanks to the excellent work of the doctors, the affection of the people and my positive mentality.
"Right now, I have the feeling that I am 2-0 up in the first half of a match that has not finished yet. But I am sure that I will end up winning."
Other famous faces to pay tribute to Johan include Gary Lineker, who tweeted: "Sad to hear that Johan Cruyff has died. Football has lost a man who did more to make the game beautiful than anyone in history."
