Lifelong City obsessive Hatton was one of the world’s best during a professional career that spanned more than a decade.
He wore sky blue shorts in the ring, used Club anthem ‘Blue Moon’ and recognised a childhood dream by fighting at the Etihad Stadium in 2008.
Thousands of fellow City supporters followed Hatton’s career closely, travelling around the world to see him face the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio.
Speaking on the latest Official Man City Podcast alongside son and current professional Campbell, Hatton says he thinks City fans were so supportive of him because of the way he represented and interacted with them.
“Life has changed a lot because of what I’ve done but I still do the same things,” he said.
“I go to the same pubs and I go to the match on Saturdays. I think that’s why the fan base I had was so massive.
“I had an exciting boxing style, I was a body puncher and aggressive but I was just one of the boys. People in town could relate to me.
“They see me in town, at the darts, at the match, you don’t see me on a red carpet. The fans could see me as one of them.
“It’s the way I was brought up. My mum and dad brought me up right and I’ve always had good friends around me. No outsiders, it’s always been the same group.
“If I ever got too big for my boots, my mates would tell me and they wouldn’t want to know me.
“City fans I’ve no doubt will get behind Campbell because he’s the same, he’s one of us.”
After his own personal struggles throughout his professional career and beyond, Hatton has long been an advocate for mental health awareness, working with various charities to encourage men to discuss their problems.
His highs and lows were documented in a recent Sky film, Hatton, and the former fighter is hopeful that his open and frank discussions on the topic can be of help to others.
“I’m a professional trainer now so I’m trying to bring the next ones through but I’m also an ambassador for mental health because if I had have gone down the other road, look what I would have missed out on,” said Hatton.
“There are people out there that are in the same boat as I was. Nobody knew about it. I don’t think even my partner at the time and my family knew how bad it was.
“When that documentary came out I think people realised but if it helps people then it’s a winner.”
At 45, Hatton has seen City go through some dark times before emerging into the current magnificent era which has seen us become the Champions of the World for the first time in our history.
While lots has changed at City, Hatton says the fundamentals in terms of his experiences with the Club remains the same.
“It’s always been a family club,” he said.
“They’ve invested in the ground and facilities and the team but the club has kept its feet on the ground.
“When a few quid comes in you can lose that but we’ve not lost it, it’s still the massive family club it is.”
Ricky and Campbell were speaking ahead of Campbell’s latest fight against James Flint at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield on 23 March.
