Wayne Rooney shared a heartfelt tribute to his friend and boxing legend Ricky Hatton after the shocking news of his passing at only 46 years old.

Hatton, a former world champion boxer, was found dead at his Manchester home on September 14.

While the cause of death has not been revealed, police have confirmed that it is not being treated as suspicious.

Rooney, 39, shared a strong bond with Hatton, famously carrying his belts into the ring during Hatton’s win over Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas in 2007. He spoke about the heartbreaking loss on The Wayne Rooney Show.

“Ricky was such a great guy and a genuinely good person,” Rooney recalled. “He won the hearts of the nation. His following was immense, and he had incredible support.”

Rooney also offered his sympathies to Hatton’s family and friends, saying: “I extend my deepest condolences to his family and all who were close to him. It’s such a premature loss.”

The former Manchester United and England player mentioned that he heard about Hatton’s passing shortly after participating in a legends exhibition game for Manchester United in South Korea.

“It hasn’t fully kicked in yet,” Rooney added. “It’s devastating. Heartbreaking.”

Rooney wasn’t the only footballer to honor Hatton, who during his illustrious boxing career held world titles in two divisions – light-welterweight and welterweight.

Jack Grealish, sharing his condolences on Instagram, described the boxing legend as a “true legend” and “absolute diamond” every time they met.

“Such sad news man,” Grealish wrote. “My thoughts go out to his family and friends. RIP Hitman.”

Roy Keane, Micah Richards, and countless others from the football world also expressed their sorrow, as did Tyson Fury from the boxing community. The heavyweight champion shared his grief on Instagram, saying, “Rip to the legend @rickyhatton may he rip. There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this, so young.”