Rio Ferdinand documentary reveals how former Manchester United defender coped with his wife Rebecca's death

Rebecca Ellison died in May 2015 shortly before Ferdinand retired, and her tragic death five weeks after being diagnosed with cancer has left him unable to grieve

Rio Ferdinand with his late wife Rebecca at Manchester United's annual club awards event in 2013 (PA)

Rio Ferdinand has opened up in detail about the death of his wife two years ago after she lost her battle wife cancer.

Rebecca Ellison died in May 2015, five weeks after being diagnosed with cancer, leaving behind her husband as well as their three children Tia, Tate and Lorenz. Her tragic death at the age of 34 came when Ferdinand was still playing professional football for Queens Park Rangers, though he announced his retirement late that month without playing another match.

The former Manchester United defender has spoken at length about his wife’s passing in a new BBC documentary, titled ‘Rio Ferdinand: Being Mum And Dad’, where he talks about the difficulties of raising their three children alone while also fulfilling his new career as a football pundit.

The combination of the two means that Ferdinand does not think he has grieved the death of Rebecca yet, and it’s something he touches on in the documentary.

“I don't think I've grieved properly,” said Ferdinand. “I've not given myself that time to sit down and really flush everything out and go through it.

“As footballers, we often talk about missing important games through injury as if it was the end of the world.

“Believe me, it isn't when compared to your wife and mother of your children dying of cancer at the age of 34.”

While the documentary focuses around the Ferdinand family’s loss, the former England international attempts to understand how other widowed parents manager to raise children following the death of a spouse, and aims to relay the best ways of supporting children through a difficult time while the widow may still be grieving.

The documentary will be aired in the spring on BBC One.