Cristiano Ronaldo has paid a heartfelt tribute to Queen Elizabeth II as he joined the nation in mourning the "irreplaceable" loss of the beloved monarch.
Buckingham Palace announced the sad death of Her Majesty in a statement around 6:30pm on Thursday after concerns were raised for her health following an evaluation by doctors. Her family rushed to be by her side at her home in Balmoral where she passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon.
Tributes have since poured in from all corners of the globe, with Manchester United superstar Ronaldo now penning his own message on social media. He wrote: "Seven years of my career were played in the Premier League, making this my 8th season living in England.
"Throughout these years, I’ve felt the everlasting love of the UK for it’s Queen, and how important Her Majesty was and will forever be to the British people. I pay my respect to her memory and I mourn this irreplaceable lost (sic) with the country that I’ve learned to call home. My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family."
Ronaldo was in United's squad for the Europa League tie vs Real Sociedad which took place shortly after Buckingham Palace's announcement. UEFA made the decision to allow the game to go ahead as many fans had already travelled to Old Trafford with some having already taken their seats inside the stadium.
An impeccable minutes' silence was observed prior to kick-off with both sets of players donning black armbands as a mark of respect to the Queen, who served as her country's leader for more than 70 years.
Despite the Europa League fixtures going ahead, the Premier League. along with the EFL and Women's Super League (WSL), has now opted to postpone all scheduled matches this weekend. A statement from Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s long and unwavering service to our country.
"As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication.
"This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing.”
The Government had suggested organising bodies may wish to postpone matches as a mark of respect for the Queen but insisted there was no obligation for them to do so.
Chair of the Digital, Culture, media and Sport select committee, Julian Knight, said: "This seems to be a sensible approach - that it's going to be up to individual sports how they mark the passing of our remarkable Queen.
"Whether that is silences, the wearing of black armbands or the singing of the National Anthem, or whether there will be those who wish at this time that perhaps there won't be having an event at all - it's completely up to the individual sports.
"But the Government guidance seems to be relatively flexible and understanding."
You can leave your tributes to Queen Elizabeth II here
