Ricky Hatton’s family paid tribute to their “beloved son Richard” after the former boxer was found dead at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, on Sunday morning

Ricky Hatton’s long-serving manager found the body of his great friend at the boxer’s home, it has emerged today.

Paul Speak, who was also Hatton’s “confidant”, is said to “deserve a little bit of love” following the grim discovery on Sunday morning. He let himself into the boxing icon’s home in Hyde, Greater Manchester, after Hatton, 46, failed to turn up to a boxing show on Saturday evening.

Boxing commentator Steve Bunce said last night: “He (Mr Bunce) filled me in on a few details about the Friday night and the Saturday night. On the Saturday night, Ricky hadn’t gone to a boxing show… Speaky had found out Sunday morning. Speaky went round and let himself into the house. In fact it was Paul Speak who found his great friend and the people’s champion Ricky Hatton.

“Speaky deserves a little bit of love. You can’t even begin to imagine. It’s a 25-year relationship they’ve had as his commercial and business manager, but more than that it’s his close friend. It’s his confidant… I can’t think of another relationship like it in sport to be perfectly honest. So Speaky was the one that found him.”

Ricky Hatton celebrates beating Kostya Tszyu in the IBF light welterweight title fight in 2005(Image: Getty Images)

The family of Ricky Hatton paid tribute to their “beloved son Richard” yesterday. In the emotional statement released through police, the boxer’s family said it was “source of great comfort to see just how many lives Richard touched”.

Former boxer Stacey Copeland, a close friend of Hatton, spoke to the BBC Five Live for a special ‘Remembering Ricky Hatton’ programme which aired on Monday night. Ms Copeland said Hatton “dared to dream” and told how she saw Hatton last on Thursday at his gym.

Hatton, born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, was due to be in Dubai on Monday, to sign a contract for a fight he was due to have in December against United Arab Emirates fighter Eisa Al Dah, Ms Copeland added.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Copeland said: “He was saying he had a problem with his elbow. It was starting to hurt. We just had a bit of a joke, saying ‘you are knocking on now Rick’. That was it. To say it was a shock is a massive understatement.”

Tributes have been paid to Ricky Hatton, pictured here in late 2022, who was found dead on Sunday(Image: PA)

Greater Manchester Police said on Sunday 46-year-old Hatton had been found dead at his home in Hyde. The police said there were no suspicious circumstances. Tributes to Hatton, a former world welterweight champion, have been paid across sport and wider society, reports Manchester Evening News.

The athlete’s family said in a statement on Monday: “Richard was so much more than a world champion,” they said. “To us he was simply ‘Richard’, our son. A loving father, grandfather, and brother, and a true friend to many. He had a heart as big as his smile, and his kindness, humour and loyalty touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.

“To the wider world, Richard will always be remembered as one of boxing’s greatest champions — a man who gave everything inside the ring and wore his heart on his sleeve outside of it.”