It’s been more than a year since Miley Cyrus, 28, and Liam Hemsworth, 31, announced their marriage was over.

And despite Miley’s constant public declarations that she’s leaving her 10-year relationship in the past, it appears that her former Aussie beau still has the ability to tug on her heartstrings.

Performing Wrecking Ball at a Super Bowl pre-game gig in Florida on Sunday, the former Hannah Montana star choked back tears as she attempted to sing the hit number. (watch the performance in the player above!)

The song is widely rumoured to be about Liam, with its lyrics, “Don’t you ever say/ I just walked away/ I will always want you,” suggested to have been written about her ex during one of their many break ups.

After she struggled to compose herself and wiped tears from her eyes, the singer told the audience: “I wear a lot of glitter and I wear a lot of armour, but I also wear my heart on my sleeve, and it gets broken a lot.”

Miley first met Liam while filming 2010 film The Last Song together and the couple shared an on-off relationship for more than a decade.

They tied the knot in a secret ceremony in  Nashville but the fairytale was over just one year later when Miley and Liam confirmed to People via a rep that they’d called time on their relationship.

“Liam and Miley have agreed to separate at this time,” the statement read.

“Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals, they have decided this is what’s best while they both focus on themselves and careers. They still remain dedicated parents to all of their animals they share while lovingly taking this time apart. Please respect their process and privacy.”

Miley swiftly moved on to a short-lived fling with Brody Jenner’s ex-wife Kaitlynn Carter before embarking on a romance with another Aussie – singer Cody Simpson. They have since split.

Meanwhile, Liam was also quick to kick off a new relationship and is now dating Australian model Gabriella Brooks.

Although The Hunger Games star has kept relatively tight-lipped about his ex-wife, Miley has spoken candidly about Liam since their split.

Miley admitted to Howard Stern in December that although her relationship with Liam contained too much “conflict” to be sustainable, she will always have a soft spot for him.

“I really do and did love him very, very, very much and still do, always will,” she confessed, but added: “When I come home, I want to be anchored by someone. I don’t get off on drama or fighting.”

In a previous interview with Joe Rogan, Miley opened up about the backlash and judgement she faced after her relationship collapse.

“I just went through a very public divorce which f**king sucked. What really sucked about it wasn’t the fact that I and someone that I loved [Liam Hemsworth] realised that we don’t love each other the way that we used to anymore. That’s okay, I can accept that. I can’t accept the villainising and just all those stories.”

She also added that she prefers to leave her romances in the past and cut all ties as much as possible.

“I think men in my life have told me that I’m a cold f**king bitch because I leave when things are done….when it’s over, it’s over and you’re dead to me and we move on,” Miley said.