Rio Ferdinand has revealed it was his late wife Rebecca's wish for him to find love again. The former footballer, who is dating Kate Wright, said Rebecca would have given his new relationship her blessing.
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In an extract of his autobiography, Thinking Out Loud, obtained by The Sun, Rio explained that Rebecca had told her best friend Lisa that she didn't want him to be alone. "Rebecca told Lisa something in the final weeks of her life. Months later Lisa told me what it was . . . ," Rio wrote. "It kills me to think of Rio with a new partner, Lisa, you know it does. Of course it does. 'But you know what kills me even more? Thinking of him alone and lonely. If I don't make it, Lisa, I don't want Rio to be miserable. I want him to be happy'."
© Photo: Getty ImagesRio said it was his wife Rebecca's wish for him to find love again
Rebecca passed away aged 34 in May 2015 after a battle with breast cancer. It was revealed that Rio was dating former TOWIE star Kate earlier this year and it appears things are becoming serious between the pair.
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Earlier this month Kate, 26, revealed she was stepping out of the spotlight in order to focus on her relationship with Rio and his three children Lorenz, Tate and Tia. "I'm taking a step back from the public eye," Kate told The Sun. "I want to keep my life private as I lived my previous relationship on TOWIE. My priority right now is Rio and the family."
Rio's girlfriend Kate Wright joined him on a family holiday in August
Rio opened up aboutlife as a single dad in a HELLO! magazine column earlier this year, saying: "We men are quite ignorant about women who stay at home and look after the family; we see that as not being a job. But it's a hard job. I always used to take my kids to school if I was there, but would wake up ten minutes before we had to go and they were already showered, fed and dressed; all I had to do was put them in the car and drive them there."
