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      in Soccer

      We were only allowed out for one night before Euro 96… I ended up in dentist’s chair, says Teddy Sheringham

      by

      WHEN we think of Euro ’96, several beautiful images come to mind — Gazza’s goal, Pearce’s ­penalty and all of the win against Holland.But two unpleasant images pop up too — one being a heartbroken Gareth Southgate after his penalty miss in the semi-final against Germany.
      Teddy Sheringham was pictured in the ‘dentist’s chair’ in Hong Kong before Euro 96Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      And, from a month or so before that, the photos of the infamous night out in Hong Kong.
      Teddy Sheringham, his clothes inexplicably in shreds, was one of many faces staring out of our front pages along with a spirit-soaked Gazza, obviously enjoying an almighty pre-tournament bender.
      They were indulging in the “dentist’s chair” — a notorious drinking game where bartenders poured a succession of drinks into the open mouths of punters.
      As preparations for an international tournament went, it was not a good look.
      A quarter of a century on, Teddy allows himself a sheepish smile at the memory. “It was a great night out, yes. Great fun.
      “I mean, you’re with 20 of your mates. You know you have four weeks of staying in and are allowed this one night out.
      “It’s not great pictures, I know, how it turned out. But you know you want to enjoy yourself for that one night — and we certainly did.”
      Boozing Paul Gascoigne pictured alongside Teddy in shredded clothingCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Teddy sheepishly says the Hong Kong was ‘great fun but not great pictures’Credit: The Sun
      But Teddy recalls how England boss Terry Venables somehow managed to turn it into a positive.
      “We know it didn’t look very good to the public and Terry wasn’t best pleased about it and he let us know in no uncertain terms. But what he did afterwards with the Press was pure genius.
      “He said, ‘Look, I allowed them out; it’s on my shoulders.’ And he protected the players. He defended us and we loved him for it.”
      Indeed, the whole furore seemed to end up bringing the whole group together.
      “I think that is exactly how it brought us together. When you’re in each other’s company, you get to know people.
      “And then when someone defends you like (Terry did), it gives you a sturdiness in your group and a unity that perhaps you wouldn’t have got if we had stayed at home and stayed at (team hotel in England) Burnham Beeches and all been on a quiet front.”
      It’s unlikely that Southgate will have the dentist’s chair as part of his strategy for this year’s tour­nament. He gave the night a pass thanks to Stuart Pearce’s sage advice.
      But Euro ’96 will be front of mind for England’s current coach, reckons Teddy, partly because of what the current coach learned from the whole experience.
      Teddy recreates dentist’s chair with GazzaCredit: Getty
      Teddy admits England boss Terry Venables ‘wasn’t best pleased’ about the photographsCredit: Action Images
      Paul Gascoigne celebrates his goal with Teddy Sheringham in the Euro 96 clash against ScotlandCredit: PA:Press Association
      “I’m excited with what Gareth’s doing. I like that he’s worked under Terry Venables.
      “He’ll take a lot from what Terry did in Euro ’96 — the way he tried to build that team spirit, that unity, that club feel. We’ve got some fantastic players.
      “I love the look of Mason (Mount). I love the look of Foden. I love the way they take it to the opposition.
      “You know, Declan Rice has come of age in that position. I’m excited about (Jack) Grealish coming on to the scene too.”
      This enthusiasm for England’s young stars is quite something, coming from a player who in his career won a Champions League, three Premier League titles and an FA Cup, yet wasn’t picked for England until he was 27. Why?
      “Good question,” says Teddy, without any noticeable bitterness. “I was probably in better form when I was around 24 or 25, and just when my form was dipping a little bit, I got the chance when I was least expecting it.”
      Until then Teddy was exactly what he is now — a proper England fan. Of the Italia ’90 semi-final against West Germany, he says, “I remember being at a pub, I think down in Southend, and just getting ­carried away with it.
      “I was a professional footballer by then but I was just enjoying being part of the crowd watching, and the excitement it brought to so many people, watching Gazza turn it on and England coming so close to being in the final.
      “Once you’re a professional footballer, you dream that maybe one time it might happen to you.” Thankfully, for him and the rest of us, it did happen.And the next time England were so close to being in a final he was there, a great player in a great side with a wonderful manager.
      Teddy says the Hong Kong night out incident brought his England team togetherCredit: Getty
      Teddy thinks England could go all the way in the Euros if they ‘come together as a real unit’Credit: The Sun
      Teddy, along with most footballers you talk to who were coached by Venables, say his genius was in how brilliantly he explained stuff to them.
      He had a way of making you understand what was expected.
      Teddy says: “With a lot of managers, if you were told a lot of things, it would all get muddled.
      “But he had a way of making it clear. I mean, it sounds very easy, doesn’t it?
      “But so many managers I’ve played under make it hard work — when you come out of the meeting, you’re like, what was that? And you can see other players thinking that too. With Terry, it was different.”
      As well as bringing the group together, the dentist’s chair drama also, of course, led to a celebration worthy of a sublime goal from Gazza against Scotland.
      Teddy’s memory of it remains razor sharp. “I remember it very clearly. David Seaman hit a long ball up from a goal kick and it dropped quite kindly for me.
      “I laid it off to Darren Anderton who played a beautiful floaty ball over the top and rest is just Gazza’s pure genius.”
      The lads celebrated by recreating the dentist’s chair episode, Gazza lying on his back as Teddy sprayed his water bottle into his mouth.
      Teddy admits some careful planning had gone into it. “I think we were all party to it, agreeing if we scored we could have a bit of fun with it.
      “I took a while to get there as I was probably still coming over the halfway line and I’m not the quickest, but I had to be involved.”
      Teddy thinks this England side have the same kind of talent, but he has a warning that they, and us fans, should heed — England, for all their class, didn’t have it all their own way in ’96.
      Darren Anderton, Paul Gascoigne and Steve McManaman celebrate with goal scorer Teddy SheringhamCredit: Getty
      Terry Venables talks with Teddy Sheringham and Stuart Pearce at an England training session during Euro 96Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      They laboured against Switzerland, the first half against Scotland was a struggle and the Scots’ missed penalty was crucial.
      “Sometimes you just have to dig in. Even looking back at the Holland game, the Dutch had three or four very good chances. It was actually a very even game between two very good teams, but we took our chances, and they didn’t.”
      His point being that when it does get sticky, the players must work through it and, crucially, the fans have got to be patient and stay behind them.
      Teddy’s other advice, in so many words, is not to lose the semi-final.
      Because it hurts like hell. I’d forgotten that the first sudden death penalty, effectively, fell to him.
      “It’s the most nervous I’ve ever been on a football pitch. Taking a penalty for your country, especially the fifth penalty, you know if you miss you’re going to get ridiculed for the rest of your life.”
      He scored, Gareth didn’t, and you know the rest. The horror of that moment has stayed with Teddy. From all the excitement and all the euphoria, that feeling we’re going all the way to, cut, that’s it. Got to go home. Wow. That’s it. It was surreal, awful.”
      He thinks England could go all the way, but says: “You’ve got to come together as a real unit, because any little splits in the camp will get shown up at some stage.
      Adrian Chiles with England legend Teddy SheringhamCredit: The Sun

      “Get into it. Stick together. Fight like hell at times
      “Show your skill, but make sure you give your all because I’m here now 25 years later still swearing ifs and buts.
      “Give it your best shot and come back as heroes. That is what I say.”
      Enough said. More

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      in Soccer

      Leading out England at Wembley was the proudest moment of my life but inside I was a wreck, says Tony Adams

      by

      TWENTY-FIVE years ago England’s football fans really were believing that years of hurt could end when football came home for Euro ’96.This week The Sun reveals the secrets behind our hosting of Europe’s biggest international tournament, starting with hero skipper Tony Adams. 
      Tony Adams captaining his country for the Netherlands clash at Euro ’96Credit: Rex
      Now 54, he tells how after years of battling addiction, he banished his demons in the summer of 1996 and found redemption – and says Gareth Southgate’s side can do the same when the delayed Euro 2020 kicks off this Friday.
      Now an armchair fan like the rest of us, the former Arsenal defender says: “We can win this! It would mean so much for all of us from Euro ’96.”

      WHEN England were to brush agonisingly close to glory in 1996, Tony Adams was at the heart of it all.
      He was the captain the whole team looked to, from the moment he led them on to the pitch at Wembley for the opening match against Switzerland. 
      The England legend as he is todayCredit: The Sun
      “It was the top, you know,” he says. Even now his eyes glisten at the memory and his voice starts to crack.
      But Tony’s Euros story doesn’t begin here. Nor does it start with anything in the build-up, the dentist’s chair drinking games in Hong Kong or any of that carry-on. 
      No, for Tony it started eight years earlier with his first tournament for his country, the European Championships of 1988. 
      “I had a horrific tournament,” he says. “On and off the pitch, it was damaging.”
      England lost to Ireland and were then dismantled by Holland with the rampantly brilliant Marco Van Basten hat-trick. 
      For Tony, it was all nothing short of traumatic. 
      He reveals: “I was so young, you know, 22 years of age, playing against the Dutch and probably the greatest player on the planet at the time.
      “I got turned inside out for a couple of the goals and it was like all the blame was coming towards me.
      Tony wears a Sun bowler while training for 1996 EurosCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      SCARED TO DEATH
      “I had no tools to cope. I had a good drink after we went out of the tournament and ended up weeing the bed. The chambermaid found it. 
      “When I went down for breakfast with the squad, all the lads stood up and they were going, ‘Pee, pee, pee, pee’.” Tony wafts his hand under his nose, mimicking them.
      He continues: “The humiliation and the shame — I laughed it off and put the front up but inside that really did hurt. That really killed me.”
      And there was more humiliation to come for Tony when the squad returned to England. 
      The great season he’d just had with Arsenal, winning the Littlewoods Cup against Liverpool and being awarded the Fiat Uno Young Player Of The Year award, now counted for nothing. 
      He says: “Oh my God, I remember when we landed at Luton and running to my Fiat Uno with about three busloads of England supporters chasing me.” 
      And that was the last Tony saw of tournament football with England for eight long years. Off the field, sinking ever deeper into his addiction to alcohol, his life was in chaos. 
      Tony and David Seaman sing the national anthem before Euro ’96 clash with Spain
      He didn’t make the squad for Italia ’90, and barely even remembers the famous semi-final and Gazza’s tears. 
      “I watched it in a social club just where I lived, drinking and getting smashed,” he recalls. “I felt no emotion about anything at that point.
      “I was completely oblivious to it all, completely oblivious.” Tony was injured for Euro ’92 and England failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the USA, so it wasn’t until Euro ’96 that he made his return to international duties. 
      Having shown his natural leadership at Arsenal, new England manager Terry Venables named Tony as captain — but the build-up to the competition could hardly have been more inauspicious for him. 
      In January his then wife — like him, losing a battle against addiction — went into treatment. 
      In February an injury in training put him out of action for several weeks. And all the time alcohol was tightening its grip. 
      He says: “In March I passed out while looking after my three kids.
      Tony kisses David after he stops Scotland penaltyCredit: Rex
      “It was a Sunday afternoon and I’d drunk six or seven bottles of Chablis and passed out. I woke up with my mother-in-law smacking me around the face, saying she’d take the kids off me.
      “By April, I had kind of come to the place where I knew something was up. There was something about that tournament.” 
      For Tony to become the leader and player he needed to be, the drinking had to stop until the tournament was over. He would, as he puts it, “white-knuckle it” for as long as it took.
      “I said, ‘All I am going to do is train, train, train, play, play, play. I am going to do this’. 
      “I had this mask on, this wall of denial. I am the skipper, I am the captain. So when they said to me, ‘Would you want to go down to a club with a dentist’s chair?’ and all that, I said, ‘Go on, you go and have fun’.
      “I was absolutely scared to death because I knew at that point if I had that first drink I couldn’t stop.
      “And I knew somewhere deep inside of me I had to stop or there was no tournament for me.
      “I was sweating and shaking, and I remember knocking on their doors the next morning, saying, ‘Come on lads, training’ — so I was all training and the football pitch.
      Arsenal win Premier League trophy in 2002Credit: Allsport – Getty
      VERY ASHAMED
      “I knew how to not drink and play football, and football was the thing that was kind of holding me together at that point.
      “The paradox of all this is that the proudest moment of my life was leading out my country at Wembley.
      “But personally, I was a complete and utter wreck. Such a conflict going on. And it was so intense.” 
      Tony was just relieved to get through that first match against Switzerland, which was a 1-1 draw.
      He said: “Even if you just take a point, you taste the atmosphere. You know what it is going to be like, you are in the competition.”
      Now he felt he was really back in business: “I had been around the block. I was 13 years into my professional career. I was a seasoned pro, being captain at Arsenal for nine years, so I think I knew what I was doing on the football pitch.
      “I didn’t know what I was doing off of it, but I knew what I was doing on it.” 
      Against Scotland, disaster struck when he gave away the penalty, but he got away with it. “This England captain felt very ashamed, and the minute I did it I kind of went, ‘Oohh’. But the goalie did me proud and I went across and gave him a big kiss on his forehead.” Moments later, Gazza scored his wonder goal, and that game was done. Next up, for Tony, was the big one — Holland. Still scarred by the defeat at their hands eight years earlier, this was the victory he wanted more than any other. 
      “It was my redemption, to be honest with you, from ’88 and losing heavily, a young boy at 22 getting ridiculed, and it was just a little bit of revenge. It was really emotional personally.” 
      The quarter-final against Spain is another match Tony frames in terms of redemption — in that case for Stuart Pearce and his penalty.
       “That was his redemption from 1990, getting up and smashing it in and going to the fans. I was so proud of Stuart because he totally deserved that.” But there were no further redemptions that summer — against Germany in the semi-final it all fell apart. 
      After England lost on penalties, having drawn the game 1-1, the skipper held it together for a few moments longer to console Gareth Southgate, who missed the crucial spot kick, and the rest of the team.
      Tony in action for England at Euro ’96Credit: Alamy
      SORDID PLACES
      He says: “I remember thinking, ‘OK, I will go and break down later, but first and foremost you are the captain of the team, you need to go and help this person’.” 
      An hour or so after that, someone handed Tony a can of beer, and that was that. “I was away on a six-week bender during which I did everything I’d done in the previous 12 years of drinking — weeing myself, blackouts, things coming out the windows. I went to some sordid places.”
      Euro ’96 turned out to be the last sticking plaster holding Tony together. When it was torn away, he soon went to pieces completely.
      “I’d got to the end. I was 29 years of age and I didn’t want to live, I didn’t want to be here any more. The pain was too much. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
      And now, finally, he got the help he needed to address his issues and change his life for ever. Euro ’96 somehow ended up being the turning point in his life story. 
      He reveals: “We got so close to winning it, and I will be forever grateful for that. It still hurts me, but personally I had a significant shift in my emotional experience that completely changed my life for the better.” Since then he has given up alcohol for good.
      And what about one more redemption, this summer, for Gareth? Tony will be suffering with the rest of us praying for it.
      “We have got some super players that are every bit as good as Euro ’96.
      Adrian Chiles sits down with Tony Adams for a chatCredit: The Sun

      “Technically good defenders? We are awash with them! Harry Maguire, John Stones and Tyrone Mings are all so talented. Mings, he’s bigger than me, really strong.
      “I am more engaged now watching it. I’ve joined the real fans,” he laughs. “I’m like you now.” More

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      in Boxing

      My dad Muhammad Ali loved watching himself on TV…’weren’t I something’, he’d say to us

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      MUHAMMAD ALI spent his final days watching documentaries about his stellar boxing career, according to his daughter Hana.The boxing legend, born Cassius Clay Jr, died aged 74 in June 2016, 32 years after he went public with his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
      Boxing champ Muhammad Ali died in 2016 after a battle with Parkinson’sCredit: Getty
      His daughter Hana has opened up about his passing five years onCredit: HANA ALI / INSTAGRAM
      Hana says Ali spent his final days watching documentaries about his careerCredit: Getty
      Speaking about her father five years on from his death, Hana, 44, told The Sun: “He loved watching himself on TV. ‘Weren’t I something’, he would say to us, his children.
      “He would watch Elvis films on TV, and documentaries about James Brown and Little Richard, but mainly about himself, especially at the age he had Parkinson’s.
      “You could see that light in his eyes. That spark. His eyes were dancing although his body wasn’t. He would look around the room smiling, it was so funny. No matter how bad his position was, he didn’t complain.
      “He never questioned his illness, he never asked, ‘Why me?’
      “He never felt sorry for himself, he felt a blessing in everything and said having Parkinson’s helps other people that are scared and frightened who are hiding away in their homes.
      “Even in his illness he inspired people, his journey on this earth.
      “He found a way to keep on going and life was all the blessings he had.”
      She reveals he would beam at the TV and say ‘weren’t I something’Credit: Getty
      During his 21-year career, Ali, who was married four times and had seven children, became known as the best boxer of all time – with 56 wins, including 37 knockouts.
      ‘OUR FUN-FILLED HOME’
      He retired in 1981 following a final fight against Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas, where he lost on points.
      Three years later in 1984, Ali revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
      Hana, whose mother was Ali’s third wife, Veronica Porché, said life at home with Ali was always filled with fun and that it was totally normal to have major celebrities dropping by for dinner.
      Hana added: “Clint Eastwood was around a lot, Stevie Wonder, Cary Grant.
      “Michael Jackson visited a few times. Prince would come later in the Nineties and we had dinner with Madonna a few times.
      “Over the years, so many celebrities that you’ve heard of tried to meet my father and have been to our home. The list is endless. Everyone was a fan of my dad’s.”
      Hana was born from Ali’s third marriage to Veronica PorchéCredit: Getty
      She says life with her dad was filled with fun – and plenty of celebrities would drop byCredit: HANA ALI / instagram
      But Hana says her dad taught her what was important in lifeCredit: HANA ALI / INSTAGRAM
      Another close pal of Ali’s was Sylvester Stallone, 74, and Hana revealed the actor even filmed scenes for Rocky III at his home in LA.
      Hana said: “I remember watching Stallone filming for Rocky III. They filmed different scenes. One was in my parents’ bedroom, one was on the patio, on the southern side.
      “We had beautiful furniture – they used all our original furnishings in the scenes. They didn’t change it, they didn’t bring in any props.
      Over the years, so many celebrities that you’ve heard of tried to meet my father and have been to our home. The list is endless. Hana
      “The house was set up for the scenes as we lived in it.
      “My dad was always entertaining the crew – he loved doing his magic tricks for them and they would laugh out loud. And my father would try to sit them down, to take a break so he could feed them.
      “My dad and Stallone would have fun during breaks. He was like a big kid, he enjoyed being Muhammad Ali.”
      Despite the A-listers that came through the door of their home, Hana said she and her father connected the most with Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, 85.
      His family say they still feel his presence to this dayCredit: Getty
      Recalling their meeting, Hana explained: “My dad and I hung out with the Dalai Lama in 2004. He was the only person I felt was a spiritual being like my dad.
      “That was the only person I can say I was kind of excited about – not like the celebrities over the years who are admired for other reasons.
      “Just because you make music or people know your name or you are famous – I wasn’t impressed by this because, as I was growing up, my father told me what was important and what wasn’t important in life.”
      ‘I FEEL HE’S STILL HERE’
      Although it has been five years since Ali died of Parkinson’s-related complications, Hana said she feels her father’s presence to this day.
      Multiple films and books have been dedicated to him, and Hana said these help keep his memory alive.
      She said: “It’s like he’s here. Everywhere I turn there’s a poster of daddy, or he’s on TV. His energy is everywhere. I talk to his photo and say, ‘Daddy I love you! When it’s my time, I hope I can see you – come and get me’.
      “He brought all his kids together from all the marriages and made sure we knew each other. This was a beautiful gift he gave us. Now we’re all good friends.
      During his 21-year career, Ali became known as the best boxer of all timeCredit: Getty
      Multiple films and books have been dedicated to his life and achievementsCredit: Getty

      “Our father gave us so much joy. I feel he’s still here and still not gone.
      “I knew from an early age he wasn’t just my dad, but we had to share him with the world. I’m OK with that.
      “I stopped fearing death when he went to the other side.”
      Muhammad Ali’s hometown bids emotional farewell to boxing legend More

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      in Soccer

      England Euro 2021 squad: Meet their WAGs including an interior designer, fitness instructor, model and legal student

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      THE England team has changed a lot since the World Cup – and the lineup of glamorous WAGs in the stands will be completely different at this year’s Euros too.Gareth Southgate unveiled his provisional squad picks this afternoon giving fans a peak at which gorgeous wives and girlfriends will be cheering the Three Lions on this summer.
      Marcus Rashford recently split with Lucia Loi – there’ll be a new line-up of WAGs supporting the England team at Euro 2020Credit: Getty
      The likes of Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire, and Kalvin Phillips are all being assessed for injuries in the following days, with the England gaffer choosing to delay the definitive 26-man squad selection until June 1.
      Several star players have split with their WAGs since the ladies stole the show from the stands at the 2018 World Cup.
      That includes pandemic hero Marcus Rashford, who recently parted ways with Lucia Loi citing lockdown strains after eight years together.
      So which WAGs will be supporting their footballing fellas all the way to the final at Wembley at this year’s Euros? 
      Megan Davison (Jordan Pickford)
      Everton Keeper Jordan Pickford married childhood sweetheart Megan Davison in March last year.
      Jordan, 27, and 24-year-old Megan had their plans for a lavish Maldives wedding scuppered by the pandemic.
      Megan Davison, 24, has stuck by England goalie Jordan PickfordCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Instead, the couple tied the knot in a simple ceremony last year in front of just a handful of guests, including their two-year-old son Arlo.
      They met at St Robert of Newminster RC secondary school in Washington, Tyne and Wear, and Megan went on to study at the University of Sunderland.
      Fern Hawkins (Harry Maguire)
      Brunette beauty Fern Hawkins is Harry Maguire’s fiancee.
      Maguire met Fern from Sheffield, South Yorks., in 2011 during his time at the Blades.
      Fern Hawkins, 26, has been with 28-year-old Maguire for years
      Fern is believed to follow in Harry’s sporty interests by holding a First Class degree in Physiotherapy.
      He popped the question during a romantic trip to Paris in 2018 and they’ve since had two daughters, Lillie Saint and Piper Rose.
      The proud mum loves sharing snaps of their idyllic family life together with her 46,000 followers on Instagram.
      Chloe Wealleans-Watts (Mason Mount)
      Mason Mount is thought to be in a relationship with model and singer Chloe Wealleans-Watts, according to The Express.
      The 303 vocalist reportedly met Mount in 2017 and they started dating shortly afterwards.
      Chloe Wealleans-Watts, 21, has posted cosy snaps with Mount on Instagram
      Chloe shared a picture of them together on holiday in Dubai and Mount let it slip he was spoken for in a hilarious call with a veteran Chelsea fan.
      When the elderly supporter tried to set Mount up with her granddaughter, he laughed and replied: “I don’t think my girlfriend would be too happy.”
      Undeterred, she advised him to “play the field”.
      Kate Kane (Harry Kane)
      Fitness instructor Kate has been with the current England captain since their school days.
      Premier League Golden Boot winner Kane proposed to her on a 2017 trip to the Bahamas before tying the knot two years ago.
      Kate and Harry have three kids together and got married in 2019
      The happy couple are parents to two girls, Ivy and Vivienne Jane, and son Louis, who was born in December.
      Kate recently revealed on Instagram that she’d turned to “hypnobirthing” during all of her labours.
      Paige Milian (Raheem Sterling)
      Paige Milian quit her job at JD Sports to be with Man City star Raheem Sterling.
      The couple got engaged in 2018 after Paige gave birth to their son, Thiago, the year before.
      Paige Milian, 25, is mum to Raheem Sterling’s son Thiago
      They’ve lived together in his £3.5 million home in Cheshire since he joined Manchester City on a £49million transfer in 2015.
      She’s racked up over 78,000 Instagram followers from uploading pictures of herself and their children to her page.
      Charlotte Trippier (Kieran Trippier)
      Charlotte Trippier was spotted cheering on hubby Kieran from the sidelines during the 2018 World Cup.
      The couple married in Cyprus in the summer of 2016 after their original plan to wed in St Lucia was scuppered by an outbreak of the Zika virus.
      Charlotte Trippier has been married to Atletico star Kieran for five years
      Later that year they had a son, Jacob, and have since had a daughter.
      While keeping out of the limelight, Charlotte posted on Instagram to say she was a “proud wife” after hubby Kieran clinched the La Liga title with Atletico Madrid at the weekend.
      Ellie Alderson (Ollie Watkins)
      Interior designer Ellie Alderson certainly has an eye for style.
      She’s reportedly been with Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins since 2018, and they’ve stayed together through his rise to the national squad.
      Ellie Alderson will be cheering on partner Ollie Watkins at the EurosCredit: Instagram @ellsalderson
      “Omg I can’t believe my eyes,” she tweeted after news of Watkins’ first cap broke last year. “I am so proud.”
      Despite being with a £70,000-a-week striker, thrifty Ellie sells designer clobber she no longer wants on shopping app Depop.
      Mia McClenaghan (Reece James)
      It was a good year for Chelsea right-back Reece James in 2020 – enjoying his England first-team debut and a relationship with Mia McClenaghan.
      The 5ft 2 student recently celebrated finishing her degree with a string of photos on Instagram.
      Reece James is with Mia McClenaghan who is believed to have just finished a law degreeCredit: Instagram/miamcclenaghan
      Her account, which has over 16,000 followers, also shows off snaps of her in designer clothes and spending time with 21-year-old lover Reece.
      The £36million defender was sent off after the final whistle during his second outing in Southgate’s side for dissent against the referee after England’s 1-0 Nations League defeat to Denmark last October.
      Lauren Fryer (Declan Rice)
      West Ham defender Declan Rice is thought to be with Lauren Fryer.
      Fryer originally hails from Chessington, Greater London, the Daily Star reports.
      Declan Rice and Lauren Fryer have previously shared cuddly snaps on Instagram
      Declan has previously posted loving birthday messages about Lauren on his social media accounts.
      Rice scored the third goal in the Hammers’ 3-0 thumping of Southampton at the weekend to ensure his club an impressive sixth-place finish.
      Rebecca Cooke (Phil Foden) 
      Phil Foden became a dad for the first time when he was just 18 as partner Rebecca Cooke gave birth to their son, Ronnie, in 2019.
      Now the couple, both 20, are currently expecting a baby girl later this year.
      Phil Foden’s partner Rebecca Cooke is also the mum to his son and is pregnant with a daughter
      They live together in a £3.25million mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire.
      News of the couple’s second child came after teen Lara Clausen said she slept with the Man City midfielder in a Reykjavik hotel after England’s 1-0 win over Iceland last year.
      Anouska Santos (Luke Shaw) 
      Anouska Santos is a regular fixture at Old Trafford thanks to her relationship with Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw.
      It’s unclear when they started dating, but they welcomed a son together, Reign London, back in November 2019.
      Anouska Santos and Luke Shaw have started a family together in recent yearsCredit: Instagram / @anouskasantos
      Announcing her pregnancy, Anouska shared a picture of her scan along with a snap of her Luke.
      “I hope he’s just like you, with a little bit of me,” she wrote.
      Ashleigh Behan (Kalvin Phillips) 
      Ashleigh Behan has been with the Yorkshire Pirlo throughout his rise from Leeds United hero to the England squad.
      The make-up artist staved off lockdown boredom by sharing TikTok videos of her and Phillips dancing and decorating their house together.
      Ashleigh Behan and Kalvin Phillips spent lockdown enjoying each other’s company
      She also enjoyed wild promotion celebrations with the Leeds United midfielder when they returned to the Premier League last summer.
      Gareth Southgate named Philipps in his provisional squad after a last-minute shoulder injury scare in Leeds’ 3-1 win over West Brom at the weekend.
      Rebecca Burnett (Jordan Henderson)
      Rebecca Burnett is believed to have met Jordan Henderson while he was at Sunderland as a teen.
      She reportedly married the Liverpool playmaker in 2014 and they’ve since had three kids.
      Jordan Henderson is married to Rebecca Burnett and the couple have three kids
      Despite being present at games supporting her hubby, little is known about Rebecca as she’s kept out of the spotlight.
      Henderson was an injury doubt after being sidelined by a groin problem since February, but Southgate has named in his provisional squad all the same.
      Amie Coady (Conor Coady) 
      Amie Coady is the wife of Wolves centre-back Conor Coady and they have three kids together called Henri, Freddie and Louie.
      Conor represented England from under-16 to under-20 level but had to wait till last year for his first call-up to the senior national team.
      Amie and Conor Coady have three children togetherCredit: Rex
      “Me and my wife said to my parents: ‘We’ve got news for you,'” Coady said of the moment he told his parents about being selected by Southgate.
      “I had my arm round my wife and my mum and dad said: ‘Oh, Amie is not pregnant again is she?'”
      Harriet Robson (Mason Greenwood)
      Harriet Robson will be giving her full support to Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood.
      News of the stunning model reuniting with Greenwood broke in November after they split in early 2020.
      Harriet Robson is back with Mason Greenwood after they separated last yearCredit: Instagram/hasrobson

      They’re thought to have known each other since their school days at Ashton on Mersey School in Greater Manchester.
      Despite their separation, the couple now look to be stronger than ever.
      Sharing a picture of her and Greenwood with her 183,000 Instagram followers last week, Harriet wrote: “We ain’t perfect but we damn close.”
      WIN £50,000! Play Dream Team Euros – our FREE fantasy football gamePlay Dream Team Euros – our FREE fantasy football game
      The richest WAGs of 2021 More

    • 225 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      After Marcus Rashford’s split from girlfriend Lucia Loi, what happened to WAGs from the 2018 World Cup team

      by

      WHEN it comes to the wags of the 2018 World Cup it hasn’t always been from Russia with love.The Sun on Sunday this weekend revealed that England ace Marcus Rashford had split from Lucia Loi, his girlfriend of eight years.
      The Sun on Sunday this weekend revealed that England ace Marcus Rashford had split from Lucia LoiCredit: Getty
      The 23-year-old PR executive fell for Marcus while they were at school.
      The pair have blamed their break-up three months ago on the stress of lockdown, with pals claiming the Manchester United player is devastated.
      Sadly, some of his England team-mates have been shown the red card too.
      Kate Jackson takes a look at what happened to the wags of the 2018 squad and their superstar partners.
      The 23-year-old PR executive fell for Marcus while they were at school, eight years ago
      We take a look at what happened to the wags of the 2018 squadCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
      REBEKAH VARDY
      Rebekah Vardy starred on Gogglebox with Jamie and has been a panellist on Loose WomenCredit: PA
      IT’S a big week for Rebekah and husband Jamie after his team Leicester City bagged the FA Cup on Saturday.
      The striker, 34, has three children with Rebekah – one-year-old Olivia, Finley, three, and Sofia, five.
      Since the World Cup, Rebekah, 39, has been a panellist on Loose Women and starred on Gogglebox with Jamie.
      But the most talked-about event has been Rebekah’s “Wagatha Christie” spat with Coleen Rooney, 35.
      The wife of former Man United ace Wayne accused Rebekah of leaking stories to the press, claims she strongly denies.
      Their legal battle continues.
      FERN HAWKINS
      MANCHESTER United defender Harry Maguire, 28, and fiancée Fern have two daughters – Lillie Saint, two, who was born exactly nine months after England beat Colombia on penalties, and one-year-old Piper Rose.
      They met in 2011, when Harry had graduated to Sheffield United’s first team.
      Fern Hawkins, 26, has two daughters with fiancé Harry MaguireCredit: Instagram @_fernhawkins
      Fern, 26, has a degree in science and physiotherapy.
      The pair met in 2011, when Harry graduated to Sheffield United’s first teamCredit: Getty
      MEGAN DAVISON
      GOALIE Jordan Pickford, 27, and Megan started dating when they were both 14.
      The university graduate cheered the hero goalie on from the stands in Russia.
      Megan Davison started dating Jordan Pickford when they were both 14Credit: The Mega Agency
      Soon after the England squad returned, the couple announced their engagement. But there was no multi-million pound do.
      They got hitched in March 2020 at a register office in Crewe and the groom wore ripped jeans and a baseball cap.
      They planned to celebrate in the Maldives but have had to postpone due to Covid.
      They now live in a five-bed home worth £2.1million in Cheshire with their two-year-old son Arlo.
      They got hitched in March 2020 and now live in a five-bed home worth £2.1million in Cheshire with their sonCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      JENA FRUMES
      AMERICAN actress Jena dumped Jesse Lingard, 28, before the World Cup.
      She had met the now West Ham ace at a party in Los Angeles in 2016, but dropped him 15 months later, shortly after it was claimed he had a steamy hot-tub romp with a single mum.
      Jena Frumes, 27, dumped Jesse Lingard just before the World Cup and is pregnant from Jason DeruloCredit: PA
      Jena, 27, is now expecting a baby boy with American pop star Jason Derulo.
      The England midfielder revealed in December 2019 that he had a one-year-old daughter, Hope, from a short relationship with fitness trainer Rebecca Halliday.
      She dropped Jesse 15 months into their relationshipCredit: Getty
      KATIE GOODLAND
      THE romance between fitness instructor Katie and England captain Harry Kane, 27, could not get any cuter.
      The pair started dating while at school, and Harry popped the question in 2017.
      Katie Goodland and England captain Harry Kane, 27, have two kids togetherCredit: Getty – Contributor
      They married in June 2019 with the Tottenham Hotspur striker posting: “Finally got to marry my Best Friend! I love you.”
      Katie gave birth to their first daughter, Ivy, in 2017.
      She was pregnant with their second girl, Vivienne, during the World Cup, and sent her father to cheer Harry on in the stands instead.
      Their son, Louis, was born in December last year. 
      MILLIE SAVAGE
      THE World Cup spelled disaster for Millie and Manchester City defender  John Stones, 26.
      In the months after England’s heroics, the ace ended their relationship.
      Millie Savage and John Stones broke up as ‘fame got too much for him’ she revealedCredit: Darren Fletcher – The Sun
      Millie later told how he had said he was no longer in love.
      Millie, who met John when she was 14 and shares a four-year-old daughter with the ace, revealed he had started partying more after the tournament.
      She said: “Fame got too much for him when he went to City then the World Cup.”
      Weeks after their split, Millie received a message on Instagram from a mystery sender telling her the £100,000-a-week defender had started dating beautician Olivia Naylor. 
      ANNABEL PEYTON
      CRYSTAL Palace keeper Jack Butland, 28, and fiancée Annabel have two sons, George, two, and two-month-old Freddie. 
      Jack, then with Stoke, was flown over to Russia as a back-up goalie, while his air hostess girlfriend was more than happy to party into the early hours with the other wags. 
      Annabel Peyton and Jack Butland are engaged and have two sons, George and FreddieCredit: Instagram
      He popped the question in Italy just ahead of the tournament, in May 2018, and posted a picture on Instagram with the caption: “Mrs B to be.”
      The couple had planned a big family get-together to celebrate George’s first birthday in April 2020, but had to cancel due to the pandemic.
      GEMMA ACTON
      GEMMA married Crystal Palace’s Gary Cahill, 35, in 2013 at Brookfield Manor in Derbyshire, near to where they grew up. 
      The pair, who met at school, have two children, Freya, 11, and eight-year-old Leo. 
      Gemma Acton and Gary Cahill have two kids but like to stay out of the limelightCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gary only made one appearance during the World Cup, when England lost 1-0 to Belgium.
      When he was playing for Chelsea in 2019, the couple kitted out their children in the team’s strip as they joined Gary for a lap at Stamford Bridge after the final home game of the season. 
      Unlike some other footie families, the Cahills tend to stay out of the limelight.
      He last posted an Instagram snap of Gemma in 2015.
      ANNIE KILNER
      MAN City ace Kyle Walker and Annie have three kids together. Their 12-year relationship has been more turbulent than most.
      In March 2019 Annie kicked the footballer out after reports he had romped with Ex On The Beach star Laura Brown.
      Annie Kilner and Kyle Walker have three kids together and are thought to still be together despite cheating scandalsCredit: BackGrid
      They were working on their relationship when, a few months later he bedded reality star Lauryn Goodman, who became pregnant.
      She gave birth to his son in April last year.
      Annie, 27, eventually forgave Kyle and he proposed with a £250,000 ring.
      In October she was spotted without the sparkler, but they are thought to still be together.
      SHANNON HORLOCK
      SHANNON was used to a football lifestyle before she met Burnley keeper Nick Pope in 2013.
      Her dad is former Manchester City player and Northern Ireland international Kevin Horlock.
      Shannon Horlock and Nick Pope are thought to have had a child in 2019
      Nick was a 65th-minute substitute as England beat Costa Rica 2-0 in the World Cup’s pre-tournament friendly.
      On the couple’s three-year anniversary, Shannon posted on Facebook: “You make me feel happy, proud and loved every single day.”
      Nick, 29, and Shannon prefer not to share much of their private life online, but it is thought they had a child in 2019.
      RUBY MAE
      THE lingerie model began dating Spurs ace Dele, 25, in 2016.
      During the World Cup Ruby shared a loving picture of the pair relaxing after England’s victory over Colombia.
      Ruby Mae spent lockdown with Dele Alli but the pair split just before Valentine’s Day this yearCredit: INSTAGRAM/RUBE MAE
      The pair split the following February and Dele was rumoured to have dated Love Island’s Megan Barton Hanson before reuniting with Ruby.
      They spent lockdown together at his £2million mansion in Elstree, Herts, but split just before Valentine’s Day this year.  
      A source told The Sun that they had been having heated rows and Ruby was “incensed” at Dele’s behaviour, including “spending too much time playing Fortnite”.
      Last week we showed exclusive pictures of Dele snogging the 20-year-old daughter of Man City boss Pep Guardiola.
      A source told The Sun that Ruby thought Dele was ‘spending too much time playing Fortnite’Credit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail
      PAIGE MILIAN
      PAIGE and Raheem Sterling got engaged before the World Cup.
      They were set to marry last year, but the pandemic scuppered their plans.
      Paige Milian got engaged to Raheem Sterling but their wedding plans fell through during the pandemicCredit: Instagram

      The winger and Paige met as teens, when he was playing for Queen’s Park Rangers and she was working at JD Sports. They moved in together when Raheem was signed for Liverpool in 2012.
      They now live in a £3.5million Cheshire mansion with their two sons, Thiago, four, and Thai-Cruz, one. The Man City ace also has a daughter, Melody Rose, from a ­previous relationship.
      He proposed to Paige, who runs Milian Property Group, in 2018. She often shares snaps of their boys with her 78,000 Instagram followers.
      The pair now live in a £3.5million Cheshire mansionCredit: Rex More

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      in Boxing

      Will Paris tan Tyson Fury’s hide after his frolics with the suncream babes?

      by

      HIS £200million superfight with Anthony Joshua could be on the verge of collapse but Tyson Fury faces a much bigger battle – the wrath of his missus.Just days after the undefeated, 6ft 9in Gypsy King was pictured being slathered in suntan oil by bikini-clad glamazons, pregnant Paris dropped everything to join him in Miami.
      Tyson Fury invoked the wrath of his wife when he was pictured being slathered in suncream by bikini-clad womenCredit: Mega
      The move prompted those close to the mother-of-five to speculate about whether she is “marking her turf”.
      A source said: “Paris has stood by Tyson during the most turbulent time possible, but that doesn’t mean she’ll put up with anything.
      “She’s strong-willed, with a mind of her own.
      “It looks like Tyson was just enjoying some light-hearted flirting. But if he crosses the line, he’ll know about it.”
      And in an apparent warning shot, Paris, 31, ditched her wedding ring in snaps posted to Instagram hours after the pictures of her husband’s poolside revelry emerged.
      The Gypsy King has been married to Paris for 12 yearsCredit: Getty
      It led Tyson, 32, to acknowledge he was in her “bad books” — and she was soon booked on a first-class flight with her full Fury brood to join him in Florida.
      Friends insist the couple are now “better than ever” after being reunited in the States.
      As if to prove it, Tyson has bombarded social media with loved-up photos and videos of their time in the US.
      One video, posted on Wednesday, shows them dancing in their swimwear, as the boxer protectively cradles Paris’s baby bump.
      Later that night, fans were treated to footage of the couple smooching in a restaurant.
      One boxing source remarked: “He’d be better off concentrating on his training. It’s a distraction.”
      Pregnant Paris quickly jetted off to join her husband in MiamiCredit: Instagram
      But while the shots of Tyson being oiled up by American beauties might have stung his wife, the couple have overcome far bigger obstacles during their 12-year marriage.
      DRUNKEN BLUR
      Both of Irish traveller descent, they met when Paris was 15, and he a year older, at a mutual friend’s wedding.
      After a chance meeting the next year, they began dating then married in a gypsy wedding at Doncaster’s St Peter-in-Chains Catholic Church in 2009.
      But the religious pair did not sleep together until their wedding night.
      Paris said: “Even after we got engaged, Tyson would sleep in a caravan in the yard of my parents’ home while I slept in the house.”
      Tyson’s career took off early in their marriage.
      In 2015, he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history by beating Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko to win the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight world titles, then declaring it a “dream come true”.
      Insiders say Paris is ‘marking her turf’Credit: instagram
      But the £4million prize and fame could not mask his torment behind the scenes.
      Tyson fell into a deep depression after bottling up feelings over Paris’s 2014 miscarriage and the death of his uncle Hughie, aged 50, after a blood clot following a routine op led to a cardiac arrest.
      A rematch with Klitschko was cancelled as Tyson failed a drugs test, gave up his titles — now held, as well as the IBO belt, by British rival Joshua — and had his fight licence suspended.
      He heard voices in his head, saw demons, ballooned to 28st on a diet of takeaways and sweets, and unravelled into a drunken blur.
      Paris and Tyson are currently expecting their sixth child
      By 2016, his boozing and cocaine binges threatened to tear apart his marriage.
      Paris admitted it was a “terrible time” watching him “putting his body and himself and his brain through all the torment he was going through in his own head”.
      She revealed: “I wanted to leave, every day. I packed the car and the kids a few times. But I’m like, ‘How can I leave?’ If you truly love someone, you’re not going to leave them to crash and burn.”
      Tyson made a series of ill-advised public outbursts, attacking gay people and Jews, and joking about “slapping bitches”.
      In June 2016, he tested positive for a prescribed steroid and admitted he was taking “lots” of cocaine.
      Fans were concerned when Paris was spotted without her wedding ring hours after the pictures emergedCredit: Instagram / Paris Fury
      He confessed all in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, saying: “The only thing that helps me is when I get drunk out of me mind.
      “I’ve done lots of cocaine. Lots of it. Why shouldn’t I take cocaine? It’s my life, isn’t it? What the f*** has that got to do with anything?
      “I’m as fat as a pig. I don’t even want to wake up. I hope I die every day.”
      His lowest point that year came when he tried to take his own life after he “lost the will to live”.
      ‘LITTLE BIT OF INFIDELITY’
      Climbing into the Ferrari supercar bought with his winnings against Klitschko, he planned to plough it into a motorway bridge.
      He recalled: “I got the car up to 190mph. I didn’t care what anybody was thinking. I didn’t care about hurting my family, friends, anybody.
      “As I was heading towards that bridge I heard a voice say, ‘Don’t do this. Think about your family, your boys and girls growing up with no father, everybody saying their dad was a weak man who left you and took the easy way out’.”
      But the couple have overcome bigger obstacles, including Tyson’s booze and cocaine bingesCredit: Instagram @gypsyking101
      A switch seemingly flicked and Tyson astonished everyone again by getting clean.
      Over the next 12 months, he ditched the cocaine, sobered up, lost ten stone and trained hard to get back to peak fitness.
      Tyson admits that there was “a little bit” of infidelity during those hazy cocaine years, but refused to reveal more.
      While he is now devoted to his family, he admits women hit on him “all the time”.
      He said: “Everywhere I go, and not just because they know who I am.
      “I could go to foreign countries where people don’t know me and they’re still hitting on me.
      Paris stayed with him throughout despite his ‘little bit’ of infidelityCredit: Instagram
      “Because I’m tall, dark and handsome. Good dress sense. In shape. They’re like, ‘Who is this guy? Is he Brad Pitt? George Clooney?’.”
      But he insists Paris need not worry, because after all the “bulls*** I’ve put her through, I’m not going anywhere”.
      The couple, who live in a modest £550,000 home in Morecambe, Lancs, have also differed over raising their children — daughters Venezuela, ten, Valencia, three, and sons Prince John James, eight, Prince Tyson II, four, and Prince Adonis Amaziah, one.
      In 2020’s Channel 5 documentary, Tyson Fury: The Gypsy King, the pair argued about whether they should let their kids go to secondary school.
      Paris said: “I was brought up a traveller and want my kids to be brought up as travellers.
      “They’ll probably leave school at 11 and be educated at home.
      Paris also supported her husband after he tried to take his own lifeCredit: Getty
      “The boys will take a wife and make their family, the girls will take a husband and make their family.”
      But Tyson described parents who do not allow their children to go to school as “dream killers”.
      He said: “Whatever all the kids want to do, I’ll just be happy they are following their dreams.”
      Asked if he would like his sons to follow in his footsteps as boxers, he added: “I would like my children to better that.
      “I would love them to be the first Fury to graduate at university.”
      In February last year, he won the WBC world title from American Deontay Wilder and in August this year, Tyson is scheduled to fight Joshua, 31, for his old titles plus the IBO belt.
      In 2018 Tyson managed to get clean and trained hard to get back to peak fitnessCredit: Getty
      There was concern in March this year when he revealed he was drinking up to a dozen beers a day and had quit training because he was fed up with fights collapsing.
      He said: “I’ve stopped training at the moment — I’m on holiday. I am drinking between eight, ten, 12 pints of lager a day.”
      Now his £200million clash with Joshua is on ice after a US judge ruled that Tyson first owes Wilder a rematch.
      On Instagram, Tyson said Wilder had “asked for $20million [£14million] to move over” and he added: “Looks like I’ll have to crack his skull again.”
      Now he’s set to go head-to-head with Anthony Joshua later this yearCredit: PA

      He went on to trash-talk the Olympian — who he now looks set to fight in Las Vegas this summer.
      Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum said the Joshua fight will be moved to November or December while they “get rid of” the American.
      It’s not the first time Tyson’s life has cut up a little complicated. But once more, the Gypsy King is coming out swinging.
      Tyson Fury kisses pregnant wife Paris after enjoying sunbathing session with brother Tommy in Miami More

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Soccer

      After Marcus Rashford’s split from girlfriend Lucia Loi, what happened to the WAGs from the 2018 World Cup team

      by

      WHEN it comes to the wags of the 2018 World Cup it hasn’t always been from Russia with love.The Sun on Sunday this weekend revealed that England ace Marcus Rashford had split from Lucia Loi, his girlfriend of eight years.
      The Sun on Sunday this weekend revealed that England ace Marcus Rashford had split from Lucia LoiCredit: Getty
      The 23-year-old PR executive fell for Marcus while they were at school.
      The pair have blamed their break-up three months ago on the stress of lockdown, with pals claiming the Manchester United player is devastated.
      Sadly, some of his England team-mates have been shown the red card too.
      Kate Jackson takes a look at what happened to the wags of the 2018 squad and their superstar partners.
      The 23-year-old PR executive fell for Marcus while they were at school, eight years ago
      We take a look at what happened to the wags of the 2018 squadCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
      REBEKAH VARDY
      Rebekah Vardy starred on Gogglebox with Jamie and has been a panellist on Loose WomenCredit: PA
      IT’S a big week for Rebekah and husband Jamie after his team Leicester City bagged the FA Cup on Saturday.
      The striker, 34, has three children with Rebekah – one-year-old Olivia, Finley, three, and Sofia, five.
      Since the World Cup, Rebekah, 39, has been a panellist on Loose Women and starred on Gogglebox with Jamie.
      But the most talked-about event has been Rebekah’s “Wagatha Christie” spat with Coleen Rooney, 35.
      The wife of former Man United ace Wayne accused Rebekah of leaking stories to the press, claims she strongly denies.
      Their legal battle continues.
      FERN HAWKINS
      MANCHESTER United defender Harry Maguire, 28, and fiancée Fern have two daughters – Lillie Saint, two, who was born exactly nine months after England beat Colombia on penalties, and one-year-old Piper Rose.
      They met in 2011, when Harry had graduated to Sheffield United’s first team.
      Fern Hawkins, 26, has two daughters with fiancé Harry MaguireCredit: Instagram @_fernhawkins
      Fern, 26, has a degree in science and physiotherapy.
      The pair met in 2011, when Harry graduated to Sheffield United’s first teamCredit: Getty
      MEGAN DAVISON
      GOALIE Jordan Pickford, 27, and Megan started dating when they were both 14.
      The university graduate cheered the hero goalie on from the stands in Russia.
      Megan Davison started dating Jordan Pickford when they were both 14Credit: The Mega Agency
      Soon after the England squad returned, the couple announced their engagement. But there was no multi-million pound do.
      They got hitched in March 2020 at a register office in Crewe and the groom wore ripped jeans and a baseball cap.
      They planned to celebrate in the Maldives but have had to postpone due to Covid.
      They now live in a five-bed home worth £2.1million in Cheshire with their two-year-old son Arlo.
      They got hitched in March 2020 and now live in a five-bed home worth £2.1million in Cheshire with their sonCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      JENA FRUMES
      AMERICAN actress Jena dumped Jesse Lingard, 28, before the World Cup.
      She had met the now West Ham ace at a party in Los Angeles in 2016, but dropped him 15 months later, shortly after it was claimed he had a steamy hot-tub romp with a single mum.
      Jena Frumes, 27, dumped Jesse Lingard just before the World Cup and is pregnant from Jason DeruloCredit: PA
      Jena, 27, is now expecting a baby boy with American pop star Jason Derulo.
      The England midfielder revealed in December 2019 that he had a one-year-old daughter, Hope, from a short relationship with fitness trainer Rebecca Halliday.
      She dropped Jesse 15 months into their relationshipCredit: Getty
      KATIE GOODLAND
      THE romance between fitness instructor Katie and England captain Harry Kane, 27, could not get any cuter.
      The pair started dating while at school, and Harry popped the question in 2017.
      Katie Goodland and England captain Harry Kane, 27, have two kids togetherCredit: Getty – Contributor
      They married in June 2019 with the Tottenham Hotspur striker posting: “Finally got to marry my Best Friend! I love you.”
      Katie gave birth to their first daughter, Ivy, in 2017.
      She was pregnant with their second girl, Vivienne, during the World Cup, and sent her father to cheer Harry on in the stands instead.
      Their son, Louis, was born in December last year. 
      MILLIE SAVAGE
      THE World Cup spelled disaster for Millie and Manchester City defender  John Stones, 26.
      In the months after England’s heroics, the ace ended their relationship.
      Millie Savage and John Stones broke up as ‘fame got too much for him’ she revealedCredit: Darren Fletcher – The Sun
      Millie later told how he had said he was no longer in love.
      Millie, who met John when she was 14 and shares a four-year-old daughter with the ace, revealed he had started partying more after the tournament.
      She said: “Fame got too much for him when he went to City then the World Cup.”
      Weeks after their split, Millie received a message on Instagram from a mystery sender telling her the £100,000-a-week defender had started dating beautician Olivia Naylor. 
      ANNABEL PEYTON
      CRYSTAL Palace keeper Jack Butland, 28, and fiancée Annabel have two sons, George, two, and two-month-old Freddie. 
      Jack, then with Stoke, was flown over to Russia as a back-up goalie, while his air hostess girlfriend was more than happy to party into the early hours with the other wags. 
      Annabel Peyton and Jack Butland are engaged and have two sons, George and FreddieCredit: Instagram
      He popped the question in Italy just ahead of the tournament, in May 2018, and posted a picture on Instagram with the caption: “Mrs B to be.”
      The couple had planned a big family get-together to celebrate George’s first birthday in April 2020, but had to cancel due to the pandemic.
      GEMMA ACTON
      GEMMA married Crystal Palace’s Gary Cahill, 35, in 2013 at Brookfield Manor in Derbyshire, near to where they grew up. 
      The pair, who met at school, have two children, Freya, 11, and eight-year-old Leo. 
      Gemma Acton and Gary Cahill have two kids but like to stay out of the limelightCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gary only made one appearance during the World Cup, when England lost 1-0 to Belgium.
      When he was playing for Chelsea in 2019, the couple kitted out their children in the team’s strip as they joined Gary for a lap at Stamford Bridge after the final home game of the season. 
      Unlike some other footie families, the Cahills tend to stay out of the limelight.
      He last posted an Instagram snap of Gemma in 2015.
      ANNIE KILNER
      MAN City ace Kyle Walker and Annie have three kids together. Their 12-year relationship has been more turbulent than most.
      In March 2019 Annie kicked the footballer out after reports he had romped with Ex On The Beach star Laura Brown.
      Annie Kilner and Kyle Walker have three kids together and are thought to still be together despite cheating scandalsCredit: BackGrid
      They were working on their relationship when, a few months later he bedded reality star Lauryn Goodman, who became pregnant.
      She gave birth to his son in April last year.
      Annie, 27, eventually forgave Kyle and he proposed with a £250,000 ring.
      In October she was spotted without the sparkler, but they are thought to still be together.
      SHANNON HORLOCK
      SHANNON was used to a football lifestyle before she met Burnley keeper Nick Pope in 2013.
      Her dad is former Manchester City player and Northern Ireland international Kevin Horlock.
      Shannon Horlock and Nick Pope are thought to have had a child in 2019
      Nick was a 65th-minute substitute as England beat Costa Rica 2-0 in the World Cup’s pre-tournament friendly.
      On the couple’s three-year anniversary, Shannon posted on Facebook: “You make me feel happy, proud and loved every single day.”
      Nick, 29, and Shannon prefer not to share much of their private life online, but it is thought they had a child in 2019.
      RUBY MAE
      THE lingerie model began dating Spurs ace Dele, 25, in 2016.
      During the World Cup Ruby shared a loving picture of the pair relaxing after England’s victory over Colombia.
      Ruby Mae spent lockdown with Dele Alli but the pair split just before Valentine’s Day this yearCredit: INSTAGRAM/RUBE MAE
      The pair split the following February and Dele was rumoured to have dated Love Island’s Megan Barton Hanson before reuniting with Ruby.
      They spent lockdown together at his £2million mansion in Elstree, Herts, but split just before Valentine’s Day this year.  
      A source told The Sun that they had been having heated rows and Ruby was “incensed” at Dele’s behaviour, including “spending too much time playing Fortnite”.
      Last week we showed exclusive pictures of Dele snogging the 20-year-old daughter of Man City boss Pep Guardiola.
      A source told The Sun that Ruby thought Dele was ‘spending too much time playing Fortnite’Credit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail
      PAIGE MILIAN
      PAIGE and Raheem Sterling got engaged before the World Cup.
      They were set to marry last year, but the pandemic scuppered their plans.
      Paige Milian got engaged to Raheem Sterling but their wedding plans fell through during the pandemicCredit: Instagram

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      He proposed to Paige, who runs Milian Property Group, in 2018. She often shares snaps of their boys with her 78,000 Instagram followers.
      The pair now live in a £3.5million Cheshire mansionCredit: Rex
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      Ian Wright sobs as he recalls cruel childhood abuse and how his mum wished she’d aborted him – but he still ‘adores’ her

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      “I remember him having her up against that wall,” recalls an emotional Ian Wright as he relives the horror of watching his mum being throttled by his violent stepdad when he was just nine years old.Former football hero Ian, 57, sobs as he returns to his single-room childhood home in South London for the first time in almost 50 years in a bid to heal the lasting scars which saw him and his mother suffer horrendous violence at the hands of his twisted and cruel stepfather.
      Footballer Ian Wright has opened up about his abusive childhood in a new BBC documentaryCredit: BBC
      Stephen suffered violence at the hands of his cruel stepfather and still suffers from flashbacks todayCredit: BBC
      Tearfully, he adds, “He grabbed my mum by the neck and she was so small. It just made me feel so helpless. She was trying to say sorry while he had his hand around her throat.
      “When I was going to bed I just could not get the memory (out) of how helpless, she was.”
      Fifty years on and Ian still frequently has “vivid” flashbacks to the violence that left him “anxious and scared” every day of his childhood.
      But it wasn’t his stepdad’s brutality that cut the deepest – Ian’s mum abused him in turn, physically hitting him before cruelly telling him she hated him and wished she’d had him terminated.
      In Home Truths, Ian returns to his childhood home for the first time in a bid to move onCredit: BBC
      New documentary Ian Wright: Home Truths sees married dad-of-eight Ian admit that his can’t stop getting “dragged back to some very negative and horrible feelings” which often ruins family occasions for everyone because he can’t stop worrying his now “perfect and wonderful” life is about to crumble.
      In the BBC One documentary he visits his old home, opens up to a psychologist and talks about the abuse with his older brother, Maurice, for the first time since they’ve grown up, in a bid to finally forgive his mum and move on for the sake of his own kids.
      Ian (centre) wants to face his childhood memories for the sake of his eight childrenCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Tragic memories
      Returning to Merritt Road in Brockley, South London, for the first time since 1973, Ian is overwhelmed by memories.
      He tells the cameras: “We shared a house with another family and me, Maurice, my mum and stepdad, all lived together in one room.”
      Ian describes the room’s layout but can’t stop fixating on the wallpaper.
      He explains: “There was this orangey wallpaper with funny kind of patterns on it. All I remember is being afraid to turn around, you know, a lot of shouting.
      “I mean, a lot of thuddy noise, a lot of grabby stuff going on here. I literally can’t see past the wallpaper. Can’t see past it.”
      There was mental cruelty too.
      Ian went on to become a football hero – but his stepdad wouldn’t let him watch Match of the DayCredit: PA:Press Association
      Ian’s stepdad knew he liked Match Of The Day but would make him face the wall when it came on.
      Ian said: “To listen to the music and hear Match Of The Day is on – it’s torture. Just cruel.”
      However, it was the abuse meted out by Ian’s own mother that left the deepest scars.
      Ian reveals his conflicted relationship with his mother (left)Credit: PA:Press Association
      He said: “She regularly beat me but it was the thing she said, that really hurt. It was at this house when my mum told me about termination.
      “She didn’t just say the word. She said: ‘I wish I had terminated you.’ She said it a few times to me. I knew what it meant.
      “When you’re hearing that at eight/nine years old that’s going to cause you a problem when you get older.”
      Sitting against the wall where he used to sleep, he says: “This wall doesn’t realise what it’s done in my life.
      Ian was deeply scarred by the abuse meted out by his mother, who said she wished she had terminated himCredit: PA
      “I’m actually making sure my back’s towards it, because there’s no love here, that’s for sure.”
      Ian even fantasised that his real parents would rescue him one day.
      He revealed: “When I was young I used to think, Am I with the wrong parents?’
      “Because my mum always spoke about how much she disliked me, I genuinely used to think one day someone’s going to knock the door and say, ‘Can we have our son back please?’”
      Brotherly love
      Ian’s elder brother escaped most of his stepfather’s wrath and did what he could to protect his young sibling.
      “Despite remaining close they have never talked about the abuse since and for the first time Maurice confirms Ian’s recollection of his stepdad was “giving her a hiding” while he covered his brother’s ears as they tried to sleep.
      Maurice is shocked by how much Ian saw, but Ian dreads to think how he would have survived without his big brother.
      He tells Maurice: “What you meant to me at that time, I can’t even put into words. You did it bro. Love you man.”
      Ian has faced his traumatic childhood for the sake of his own children and wife Nancy HallamCredit: Getty
      Shocking statistics reveal that one in five children will have witnessed domestic abuse by the age of 16.
      In the UK last year 1.6 million women were victims of domestic abuse and in 90 per cent of cases a child was present.
      Ian meets others who have witnessed and suffered through domestic abuse in their childhood and finds some comfort that he’s not alone.
      He says: “I’m totally knocked sideways to find out it’s not our fault. You know, we are victims.”
      He also makes a big revelation that he still loves his mum and struggles with internal conflict raging within him.
      He says: “I absolutely adore and love her. And then there’s times when I totally hated her. It’s so complex.”
      Ian now has his own family and eight childrenCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      ‘I am slowly forgiving her’
      Finally, a psychologist helps Ian make a breakthrough.
      Dr Nuria Gene-Cos, Consultant, psychiatrist and trauma specialist for adults at Maudsley Hospital in London, listens to Ian’s story before telling him “that’s the trauma reaction”.
      She adds: “The worst betrayal in your life is your mother and your parents”.
      When Ian describes the words his mother said to him, Dr Nuria defines it as “severe emotional abuse” but tells him he’s not trapped any longer.
      When he confesses that the anger inside of him comes from when he was nine and just wanted a hug or “tactile love” she tells him “you can’t let a child run your life” and that he is no longer trapped.
      Afterwards, visibly lighter and on the road to forgiveness, Ian says: “That’s going to be a massive breakthrough for me.”
      Ian’s stepfather left home when he was a teenager but maintains a relationship with his mum who has been “too ill” to take part in his film.
      Ian later became a football hero and played for ArsenalCredit: Getty
      To understand why his mum turned her pain onto him, Ian meets Naomi who admits that she used to hit her own daughter after being a victim of domestic abuse herself.
      Listening to her story, Ian’s compassion for her and his mum is evident.
      As a father-of-eight, Ian knows he needs to make peace with his mum for the sake of his own family.
      Ian says: “There were times when she would just start crying when we were younger and there is obviously some pain in there.
      “I’m slowly and surely forgiving her, simply because I have to accept that whatever her journey was, she hasn’t been able to deal with that like I’ve been able to deal with it but now it’s getting easier.
      A psychologist has helped Ian make a breakthroughCredit: Getty
      “I can forgive, because I have to move on for my own kids. I’ve got to try and make sure they are OK”.
      Ian might be able to forgive his mum now but it’s taken almost half a century and ruined his happiness and, that of others around him.
      Wife Nancy tells him honestly that he is impacting Christmases and birthdays saying: “You’ve got to somehow make things not go well because you can’t always be happy. Because you’re used to things not being happy.”
      But it’s not just Ian’s kids that he wants to shine a light on domestic abuse for – it’s for the one million kids living with domestic abuse in the UK.

      He says: “One million kids, that has to change.
      “If I could talk to that 9-year-old me, the one what was scared and lonely, I would say you can get through this, you are strong and you are worth something.
      “Abuse creates a vicious cycle and it’s up to all of us to stop it.”
      Ian Wright: Home Truths is on BBC1, Thursday May 6 at 9pm.
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