'A great man inside the ring and a wonderful man outside of it'

Another former boxing world champion, Barry McGuigan, said he was “absolutely devastated” by Hatton’s death.

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He added: “He was a man of the people and a spectacular fighter. A great man inside the ring and a wonderful man outside of it.”

Former fighter Amir Khan said: “Today we lost not only one of Britain's greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior.”

Khan, from Bolton, added: “As fighters, we tell ourselves we're strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind. Mental health isn’t weakness.

“It’s part of being human. And we must talk about it. We must reach out. We must lean on each other.”

Hatton was a lifelong supporter of Manchester City, with both his father and grandfather having played for the club. A minute's applause with a standing ovation was held before City’s 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

Both sets of players wore black armbands.