Cheick Tiote's young son has made a heartbreaking tribute to his
late father by posing for a picture in a Newcastle United shirt with the
words 'RIP Daddy' printed on the back. Three-year-old Rafael was born
to the midfielder and partner Nikki Mpofu during Tiote's
six-and-a-half-year stay on Tyneside. And following the tragic news of
his dad's passing on Monday, the youngster and his family visited St
James' Park to collect the special shirt.
The images of the child with his father
have been widely shared on social media after they were posted on
Tuesday, including by Rafael's mum Nikki.
In
two emotional tweets in the hours after news broke of Tiote's death,
she paid tribute to the former Ivory Coast international.
She wrote: 'Just lost the love of my life. Rest in peace Cheiky' and 'What do I tell our son Cheiky? #RIPTiote'.
The 30-year-old passed away in China, where he had been playing for second division outfit Beijing Enterprises.
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