From the public to celebrities, everybody wanted a piece of Ricky Hatton

There are fewer sporting stars who transverse from the paper backmost pages to go beforehand leafage news... but Ricky Hatton ever was 1 of them.

Aside from his boxing brilliance, it was his property and humour which made radical wage attention.

In caller years, his happy-go-lucky quality saw him formed connected world shows similar Dancing connected Ice.

But what's much absorbing is however and wherefore the nationalist came to person specified large affection for him backmost successful the day.

Follow the latest: Tributes being paid to erstwhile boxing satellite champion

Putting it kindly, sports stars aren't ever known for their sparkling personalities.

It was Ricky's deficiency of involvement successful the trappings of fame which accompanied his epic tally of victories that made him each the much cool.

He was the working-class leader who seemed unstoppable. It was a communicative that everyone wanted to follow.

Celebrities wanted to beryllium seen alongside him. Piggy-backing disconnected his popularity the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington and David Beckham were each pictured ringside astatine 1 clip oregon another, drawn to his fan-friendly benignant and awesome winning streak.

At the aforesaid clip arsenic the Gallagher brothers were flying the emblem for euphony from Manchester, Hatton was doing the aforesaid for boxing.

During his 2008 combat against Paulie Malignaggi, helium had Liam and Noel escort him to the ring.

In an interrogation helium said helium thought each 3 of them mightiness beryllium killed erstwhile Liam held up Hatton's IBO loop inches from Malignaggi's look and with a swagger said 'what bash you deliberation astir that you d*** head?'.

Stories similar that are wherefore his entreaty extended beyond sport. He was an mean bloke who'd done bonzer things. He ne'er mislaid show of who helium was and fans loved him for it.