Football Star Celebrates Birthday With Twin Sons Just Weeks After Wife's Death

These heartbreaking photos show footballer Thomas Buffel celebrating his birthday with his twin sons just weeks after his wife died from cancer.

The former Rangers star's partner, Stephanie De Buysser, tragically passed away aged 39 on January 25 following a battle with bowel cancer.

The pair, who were long-term partners, only married in June last year. They have two three-year-old boys together.

Yesterday morning, Buffel posted a series of pictures on Instagram, showing him marking his 36th birthday with his adorable sons.

He wrote: "Nice surprise from my boys today. Nineteen little presents in a box. Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

The footballer's birthday - which he celebrated with a doughnut instead of a cake - comes less than a month after he lost his wife to cancer.

The Belgian midfielder, who ended a three-year Ibrox spell in 2008, married his longtime partner and mum to his twins last summer.

But in December, he revealed that Stephanie was battling bowel cancer.

Just before Christmas, the dad-of-two, who played for Rangers between 2005 and 2008, said he was hopeful his wife would recover.

"We genuinely believe that things will turn out for the best one day," he said.

But on January 26, he posted a poignant tribute on Instagram, saying that Stephanie had passed away the night before, the Record reported.

The message in Dutch translated as: "Our beloved princess has left us this night .. there are no words, she still fought to the end, without ever complaining, she was still worried about others! We saw her so happy.

"She has inspired us all, and it is now up to us to carry on her positivity."

Buffel tried hard to support Stephanie through her illness.

In December he said: "When I asked her to marry me she felt much better, and strong enough for our wedding day.

"I promised Stephanie's father before he died that I would always look after her. I have now repeated that promise for the whole world to hear."

Rangers paid Dutch club Feyenoord £2.3million for Buffel in January 2005.

He went on to make 83 Light Blues appearances, scoring 16 goals.

He helped Rangers to win the 2005 SPL title and Scottish League Cup, before returning home to rejoin former club Cercle Bruges eight years ago.

He now captains Belgian top-flight club KRC Genk, playing under shirt number 19.