John (right) with Ryan and Jamie Hamilton in happier times

Mr Ferguson (48), from Castlecaulfield in Co Tyrone, was tragically killed in an accident at the Manx Grand Prix last week.

Burrows - who has withdrawn from the final Irish road race of the season at Killalane - told the News Letter that life will never be the same following the loss of his good pal, who is the uncle of Ulster bike legend Ryan Farquhar.

“Trevor was much more than a friend to me. He just wasn’t another rider in the paddock to me,” said Burrows.

“We cycled together and did trials riding together - we socialised together and it’s just so terrible.

“My life will go on, but poor Doris [Mr Ferguson’s wife] and his kids will never be able to put it out of their minds for a long time.

“No-one had a bad word to say about Trevor. He would have moved a mountain for you. Last year myself and Rachel lost our baby in July and Trevor and Doris were the first ones on the doorstep.

“Trevor and me talked to each other nearly every day on the phone and he was down in my yard at least twice a week.

“We spent last New Year’s Eve together just having a quiet drink in the font room with the fire lit,” he added.

“He was such a safe and steady rider and he didn’t care whether he finished first or last and I can say that from my heart.”

In an interview with the News Letter last week, Farquhar announced his decision to retire from road racing.

It is a move that Burrows fully understands.

“Ryan has achieved so much in the sport and is one of the superstars, but I’d like to see him stick by his decision to quit.

“He has nothing left to prove to anyone in the sport. He’s absolutely shattered by what has happened and is in a really bad way about what has happened to Trevor,” he said.

“I know that Ryan’s wife Karen is delighted with his decision and although this is a hard sport to walk away from, there is much more to life than motorbikes.

“Family is the most important thing and right now my focus and Ryan’s focus is on Trevor’s family and getting through the week ahead.

“I feel for Ryan because it’s his bike that the accident happened on and his uncle was riding it, but it’s no-one’s fault and it’s one of those things that can sadly happen in road racing.”

Burrows, one of the frontrunners at the national road races and a top 10 finisher at the Isle of Man TT, said Mr Ferguson was never happier than when he was racing motorcycles.

“I do know one thing, Trevor couldn’t wait to get out at the Manx Grand Prix and he just loved what he was doing,” he said.

“I’d never go as far as saying he loved it enough that he would die for it, because no-one loves it that much.

“His trip to the Manx was basically his family holiday. His wife was there, his kids were there, his dad was there and he was riding for Ryan there.

“Nothing got any better than that for Trevor,” said Burrows.

“It looked as though Trevor had a fairly secure second place in the bag and on another day he’d have been up there on that podium along with Nigel [Moore].

“Unfortunately he just seems to have lost the front end of the bike, but no-one will ever know exactly why.

“I was at a funeral with Trevor and I can remember him saying to me, ‘don’t kid yourself, it’ll not be the last one,’ and that is so true about road racing.”