Rio Ferdinand has spoken openly about his struggles as a single parent following the death of his wife Rebecca in May 2015. And this week, the former footballer took to Instagram to share a heartbreaking post about his three children, Lorez, Tate and Tia, as he revealed his hopes for their future happiness. Rio, 38, uploaded a quote which read: "There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are plenty of perfect moments along the way." Alongside it, he wrote: "I just wish happiness for my kids from now… The last couple of years they have seen too much pain. Creating great memories for them going forward is the aim."
Rio Ferdinand shared a touching post on Instagram about his three children
Understandably, fans were quick to respond to the post. "Never, never give up Rio, you're a great man," one wrote. Another referred to the recent loss of Rio's beloved mother, writing: "So true. Lose their lovely mum and nan. They are surrounded by love and they will be ok." A third added: "You are a perfect parent, and your kids are even more perfect."
The former footballer is currently enjoying a summer holiday with his family
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Following on from his touching post, Rio shared a short video taken during a family holiday. It shows Rio playing by the pool with Lorenz, who can be seen leaping from his father's shoulders into the water. Other earlier videos show the star playing football with both his boys, and another of little Tia jumping into the pool from her dad's shoulders, which he captioned: "The Human Diving Board."