Wife of Terminally Ill Ex-Rangers Player Ricksen Says Ronaldo Helped Them With ‘Sweaty Jersey’

Ricksen was diagnosed with the incurable motor neurone disease in 2013; he is cared for at a hospice in Scotland, where his wife and seven-year-old daughter visit him monthly. He is set to make a “final appearance” in public on Thursday, but says it doesn’t mean he is giving up hope.

Veronika Ricksen, the wife of former Rangers and Zenith midfielder Fernando Ricksen, has recounted how Portuguese football ace Cristiano Ronaldo helped the couple.

According to one of her tweets, the encounter likely took place in the autumn of 2016, when Ronaldo was still playing for Real Madrid. In the photo, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez can also be seen standing next to Fernando Ricksen, who is accompanied by Veronika and their daughter, Bella.

Isabella dream comes true 😍😍😍 pic.twitter.com/YvJdISRVVp

— Veronika Ricksen (@RicksenVeronika) October 18, 2016

"We went to Madrid and had a meeting,” Veronika told the media.

When asked whether Cristiano had helped Ricksen after the meeting in any way, Veronika said he gave a “sweaty jersey” to the girl as a gift. “[He] took it off after the game, gave it away and left,” she added.

She also recalled how an “old man from FIFA” pledged to set up a charity foundation to help her husband until the end, but failed to do anything. Veronika then clarified she was referring to Sepp Blatter, a long-time FIFA president who stepped down amid a corruption scandal in 2015 and is now serving a six-year ban from football.

Ricksen, 42, is battling with motor neurone disease. He is being treated at St Andrew's Hospice in Airdrie not far from Glasgow – and his ordeal is very likely to end there.