Ricky Hatton's death sent shockwaves throughout football as well as boxing, eliciting heart-rending tributes from all and sundry.
The news of Hatton's passing broke on the day of the derby between his beloved Manchester City and Manchester United, with figures from across the sport making clear how much he meant to them.
"Ricky Hatton was funny as f**k!" Paul Gascoigne on the late boxer
Manchester City are devastated to learn Ricky Hatton has passed away, aged 46.Ricky was one of City’s most loved and revered supporters, who will always be remembered for a glittering boxing career that saw him win world titles at welterweight and light-welterweight.Everyone… pic.twitter.com/6PcjliPBdeSeptember 14, 2025
Like Gazza, Hatton was a larger-than-life character, adored by the public.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Gazza said: “I did a couple of venues with him – what a shame, a great guy, a great character. He was like myself, he gave his time up for anybody and he’d give his last penny away. It was heartbreaking.”
Gascoigne recalled a time when the pair shared a hotel. "I did a venue with Ricky, Phil Taylor and Jimmy White in Bristol – Ricky was funny as f**k," he said, speaking in an exclusive interview for FourFourTwo magazine, to coincide with the launch of his new book Eight.
"We had a few drinks, then in the morning I woke him out of bed and asked him, ‘What are you doing today?’ He said, ‘I’m having a shower, then I’m going to do Celebrity Bullseye.’
"He went into the shower, I was sat in his room and his shoes were there, they were black. I’ve seen a gold marker and f**king signed ‘Paul Gascoigne’ on one.
"He went, ‘You f**king idiot!’ – I watched him on the show, he was throwing darts with only one shoe on, f**king brilliant!”
Hatton was 46 when he passed away, and had previously spoken publicly about struggling with mental health issues for many years. The opening of an inquest into his death tragically indicated the cause as hanging.
Gascoigne has himself experienced a number of struggles, and was asked whether the news of Hatton's passing had made him determined to enjoy his own life more.
“Yeah, I am enjoying my own life,” he stressed, reassuring us, and sounding very much like he meant it. “If anything bad happened to me it would be my fault, it wouldn’t be anybody else’s.”
Asked sensitively whether there had ever been a point when he feared he might not still be here himself, he said: “No, I’ve never been that bad. I have been down and that, I’ve been psychotic, but I’ve never wanted to kill myself.”
Gascoigne remains one of the country's most popular figures, loved for everything he achieved during a stellar career.
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