Hulk Hogan's ex-wife Linda pays tribute to late wrestling icon on his birthday: 'Love and miss you so much'

Tributes to Hulk Hogan on what would have been his 72nd birthday have come from fans and media - but also his family, despite estrangement and struggles while he was alive.

On Monday, Linda Hogan - the ex-wife of the 'Hulkster' - posted a photo to her Instagram account in memory of him.

Linda - who had been married to Hogan for 26 years and gave birth to his son Nick and daughter Brooke - shared a throwback image from early in their dating days.

The photo showed the two of them in an embrace while they posed for a camera - with Hulk boasting his blond locks and goatee.

Linda captioned the post: 'Me and Hulkster .. 1981 Happy Birthday Terry .. I love and miss you so much ..'

She told TMZ that the picture was taken during their first birthday celebration as a couple.

The snap was taken when they were both living in Santa Monica, California at the time and they were testing out a new camera the wrestling superstar bought for her.

Hogan passed away from a heart attack on July 24 - roughly two-and-a-half weeks before his birthday.

Before his passing, Linda admitted that the family was going through some issues - blaming Hulk, real name Terry Bollea, for putting them in 'the worst mess'.

Later, she would walk back that stance and said that he was a great father to his children.

Linda wasn't the only member of the Hogan family who had a problem with Hulk. Their daughter, Brooke, was estranged from Hulk for years.

However, right before his passing, Brooke was able to reach out to her father and briefly spoke to him one final time.

'It was a tearful conversation, albeit a short one,' an insider told the National Enquirer.

'Brooke told her dad how much she loved him, how much she missed him. Hulk said he loved her, and he was sorry.

'That was huge for Brooke to hear. Everyone knew how stubborn Hulk could be, but his fading health obviously softened him up. He knew he was dying and begged her forgiveness.'