Rio Ferdinand shares emotional message for his children after the loss of their mum and grandmother

Footballer Rio Ferdinand has posted an emotional tribute to his kids on Instagram.

Rio, 38, took to the social media site to share a touching image dedicated to his three children, with the message: 'There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are plenty of perfect moments along the way'.

Alongside the sweet snap, he shared what his hopes for his kids going forward were, when he added: '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.'

It's been a difficult couple of years for the footballer and sports presenter, with a lot of heartbreak for him and his young family.

In May 2015, his wife Rebecca Ellison died after a battle with breast cancer, and in July 2017 he revealed that his mum Janice St Fort, 58, had also sadly passed away.

Earlier this year saw Rio opening up about his the loss of his wife in a BBC documentary Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum and Dad. Throughout the programme he explored his grief, but also opened up about how it may affect his children Lorenz, 11, Tate, nine, and daughter Tia, five.

He said on the documentary: 'This is one of the only things in life that we're going to go through together, where I haven't got the answers for them, and that's quite a worrying, daunting thing.'

Rio has since gone on to date former TOWIE star Kate Wright, 26 - who he is currently on holiday with, along with his children.

When his mum passed away last moth Rio was said to be devastated.

At the time his family said: 'The whole family are devastated. Our mum was the centre and the heart of our family and has supported us all through many difficult times, always with a smile on her face.'

'Her strength and courage, as well as her great sense of humour and immense kindness, were never-ending.'