"Irreplaceable loss", "My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family" - Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo pays heartfelt tribute to Queen Elizabeth II 

Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a moving tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who has passed away at the age of 96.

Buckingham Palace announced the death of the monarch on Thursday (September 8) after she spent 70 years on the throne as the head of the Commonwealth.

All fixtures in English football have been postponed this weekend as a mark of respect and Ronaldo has posted his tribute on Instagram. The Portuguese superstar wrote:

"Seven years of my career were played in the Premier League, making this my eighth season living in England. Throughout these years, I’ve felt the everlasting love of the UK for its 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 loss with the country that I’ve learned to call home. My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family."

Ronaldo first moved to England when Manchester United signed him from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009. He re-joined the Red Devils last summer following a blockbuster move from Juventus.

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All Premier League and EFL fixtures postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II

Gameweek seven in the Premier League will be rearranged following the historic news of the Queen's passing. A statement from the Premier League read:

"At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To honor her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend’s Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening’s game."

The Premier League's 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."

"This is aligned with the approach that The FA and EFL will take with their competitions this weekend. Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course."

With an already packed schedule coming up, the Premier League now faces an uphill task in trying to find room for the postponed fixtures. This will be made more difficult with the FIFA World Cup taking place in Qatar in November.