Pablo Zabaleta has issued a heartfelt message of support for the people of Manchester at the end of a hugely difficult week in the city he called home for nine years.
The defender, who will join West Ham United on 1 July, spent nine years in the North West with Manchester City, where he was adopted as an honorary Mancunian by Citizens supporters.
The two-time Premier League champion clearly has a huge amount of affection for the city which took him and wife Christel to its heart and was the birthplace of his son Asier in April 2015.
On Monday evening, the Manchester Arena came under attack from a suicide bombing at a concert being given by singer Ariana Grande which left 22 people dead, many of them children, and more than 50 injured.
In the aftermath, City’s Etihad Stadium was used as a support centre, offering treatment to those hurt in the blast and a meeting point for families seeking news about their loved ones.
An emotional Zabaleta, who made a substantial donation to the victims of the tragedy, told West Ham TV his thoughts were with the people of Manchester at this challenging time.
“It was really hard,” he said, reflecting on the terrible incident. “Of course all my thoughts and prayers go to the families in that horrific tragedy and it’s a really hard moment not just for the families, but for the whole country and for the world.
“We don’t want to see more things like that. In Manchester, in the city where I’ve been living for so many years, it was terrible so it is time for all of us to be united and hopefully this will not happen again.”
