QPR boss, Chris Ramsey, has praised the character and spirit of Rio Ferdinand at what has been an extremely difficult time.
The former Manchester United defender has had to deal with the illness of his wife and mother of his children, Rebecca Ellison, who sadly passed away, aged just 34.
And Ramsey has described Ferdinand as a "man mountain" throughout the most trying of circumstances and explained that the player was still a rock around the club even when his wife took sick.
Rangers lost to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday but the result of that game of football was far from the priority this weekend and the manager admitted that the tragic news puts things in perspective.
“There is a very solemn atmosphere in the dressing room," Ramsey explained. "Everyone at the club will tell you, as a man, he [Rio] has been fantastic. He has come in and trained and kept it all to himself. He has not been moping and has talked to all the young players.
"He has been a man-mountain. We only have good things to say about him and the way he has conducted himself. Our thoughts are with him and his family and hope they can pull together and find strength at this tragic moment.”
Liverpool boss, Brendan Rodgers, echoed the sentiment that there are more important things in life than sport and he joined with Ramsey in offering condolences to Ferdinand and the family.
“Football was secondary today,” Rodgers stated after the game yesterday.
“Everything else was insignificant after I heard the news, so on behalf of Liverpool Football Club and Liverpool as a city, we pass on our condolences.”
