Rebecca Ellison,the wife of Rio Ferdinand, former player of Manchester United and England defender, passed away after a brief battle with cancer last Saturday, Asia One News reports.

Rio Ferdinand lamented that his wife Rebecca Ellison, passed away after a brief battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. He also emphasized that his late wife was also a wonderful mother to their three children.

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"My soulmate slipped away last night," Ferdinand said in an official statement.

Details about his late wife's previous condition prior to her admission was not disclosed.

In the official statement, he added that Rebecca Ellison was also a wonderful aunt, sister and granddaughter and she will be truly missed but remembered forever.

In 2009, Rio Ferdinand and Rebecca Ellison married when the former player was still playing for Manchester United as a defender.

Ferdinand expressed his gratitude at the hospital where Rebecca was confined before her death. The former football player commended the dedication and expertise of the staff involved in his wife's care, particularly Professor Johnston and Clark.

Ferdinand noted that the unrelenting efforts of each of the staff to prolong Rebecca Ellison's life will remain memorable.

Rebecca Ellison is survived by ber husband and three children, Lorenz, Tate and Tia.

All people from various parts of the world and the former sports team, which Ferdinand was previously connected to, paid homage to Rebecca's demise.

The Queens Park Rangers Football club, where Ferdinand briefly played for one year, paid homage to the late wife of Ferdinand by releasing an official statement expressing their grief.

The team extended their condolences to their former comrade and said that the thoughts of everyone in the Queens Park Rangers Football Club will be with the 36 year old player.

Manchester United also gave their condolences to Ferdinand through Twitter after Rebecca Ellison died. The football club elucidated that their thoughts would also be with Ferdinand, whose wife just passed away the previous night.

Rio Ferdinand played as a defender in Manchester for almost five years and played almost 81 times in the England National team for 14 years, thus making his appearance as well in the FiFA World Cups.

Last 2014, Rio Ferdinand signed in to the Queens Park Ranger Club for a one year contract but he eventually announced his retirement by end of the season, expressing the fact that there will be better things ahead.

TagsWife, Rebecca Ellison, Rio Ferdinand, Cancer