Ed Sheeran pays touching tribute to Shane Warne during sold-out Melbourne gig

Ed Sheeran paid tribute to his late friend Shane Warne during his sold-out concert at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday.

The Thinking Out Loud singer, who is currently touring Down Under, said performing at the venue Warne spent so much time in was an emotional experience.

The 32-year-old then went on to dedicate his song, A-Team, to Warne and his three children, Brooke, 25, Jackson, 23, and Summer, 21, were in the crowd watching Sheeran.

In a video captured by Summer on Instagram, the musician said: “I want to say with this song as well, being in the MSG tonight, and not having my friend Shane Warne here to watch this…

“... I know he’s got a stand here and I know this venue is like really, really special to him, everyone from Melbourne and cricket fans all around the world.

“So this one is for Shane and his kids, thank you so much for coming tonight.”

Alongside the short video, she penned across the footage: “Beautiful tribute to Dad” beside a crown emoji.

Before the gig, Warne’s three children caught up with Sheeran and gifted him a picture of the singer with their dad as well as a bottle of wine.

“Hope you like the gifts and thank you for the Tingly Teds hot sauce,” Jackson wrote alongside several photos on Instagram.

The former leg-spinner, considered one of the greatest cricketers of all-time, died of a suspected heart attack while on holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand, last March 4, aged 52.

Warne shot to global fame with the ‘ball of the century’ to bamboozle and dismiss Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes series against England.

He went on to claim 708 Test wickets, the second-highest in history, in a 15-year career spanning 145 matches and also took 293 one-day international wickets, helping Australia win the 1999 World Cup.

After his retirement from the sport, Warne worked as a commentator for Fox in Australia and Sky in the UK, as well as dabbling in coaching – including with London Spirit in the Hundred.