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    No wonder Ronaldo’s leaving Man Utd – he’s pure Hollywood in a team of mediocre Love Island wannabes, Piers Morgan says

    If you had a choice of role models for your children, who would you choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and a Love Island contestant?
    One is the greatest footballer in history and a supremely dedicated athlete with an astonishingly intensive work ethic and health regime.
    If you had a choice of role models for your children, who would you choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and a Love Island contestant?
    One is the greatest footballer in history and a supremely dedicated athlete with an astonishingly intensive work ethic and health regime, says PiersCredit: Instagram
    The other, and I am talking generally, but I fear accurately, here, is a lazy, spoiled, deluded halfwit who thinks – sadly, with some justification these days – that success and fame can be achieved by behaving like a brain-dead lecherous tool on TV.
    Yet, horrifyingly, many young people are gravitating towards Love Island lifestyle choices, sensing it’s a damn sight easier than actually working for a living, or developing and nurturing a genuine talent.
    To them, racking up social media ‘likes’ for their vacuous antics is the only validation they need to think they’ve ‘made it.’
    I thought of this depressing reality when I heard the entirely unsurprising news that Ronaldo wants to quit Manchester United because he doesn’t think the club shares his ferocious ambition.
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MORGAN.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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    At the heart of his discontent is his belief that not only is the club being very poorly run compared to his first stint there, but many of the younger players just don’t have the same attitude to winning that he had and continues to have.
    Nobody in the history of world sport hates losing more than Ronaldo, with the possible exception of me when I play my kids at Tiddlywinks.
    And his burning frustration at United’s malaise – they finished 6th in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League – has finally boiled over.
    Ronaldo still has incredible hunger, desire, ambition and will to win raging inside his soul like a spewing volcano, which is staggering for someone who is now 37 and has already achieved so much in the game.
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    But there are numerous ‘stars’ wearing the shirt at the club now, and banking huge cheques each week for rankly mediocre performances, whose only real passion, hunger and desire seems to be for self-promotional off-field activities, Twitter/Instagram affirmation, and partying – not putting in the hard yards that it takes to be winners.
    They’re the football equivalent of Love Islanders, a show you can bet your life they all avidly watch.
    And for someone like Ronaldo, that lack of laser-like focus on what really matters, the football, is what’s really behind his decision to want to leave.
    Yes, he wants to play in the Champions League.
    Why the hell wouldn’t he? He’s the greatest champion in the history of the game.

    Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 526, Virgin Media 627, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US

    And to those ludicrous football writers trying to make out HE was the problem last season, let me remind them that Ronaldo scored 24 goals including six in the Champions League and 18 in the Premier League, coming 3rd in the Golden Boot competition and beating England’s top striker Harry Kane with one more league goal, despite being nine years older.
    Spoiled brats
    He wasn’t the ‘problem’ – he was the only thing stopping United from battling relegation.
    The real problem was the shockingly unmotivated collection of ineffectual, mentally weak wastrels around him.
    Why should Ronaldo waste another second of his phenomenally valuable time and talent trying to elevate a bunch of over-paid, pampered, prima donna spoiled brats to his level when so many of them just aren’t interested?
    It may beggar belief that United’s younger players wouldn’t hang on his every word given his astonishing success and experience, in the way that he used to with older players like Roy Keane when he was a teenager at the club.
    But many of them don’t.
    They’re too rich, too arrogant, too stupid, too lacking in humility and self-awareness, to tap the brain of the GOAT of their sport, despite possessing trophy cabinets so empty even spiders don’t go inside for fear of getting lonely.
    For a clue to this dismal attitude, look no further than an interview Ronaldo gave at the start of this year to Premier League Productions in which he said: “The older players can always help the young players but if I give you advice, and you don’t implant that in a daily life it will be difficult.
    “You can speak all day with that person. If it’s not coming from inside of you, it’s impossible.
    “I remember when I was 18, 19, 20, some old players speak with me and I put that as, “Cristiano, you know you have to improve. They know more than you, they are more experienced than you.
    “But (current young professional players), they don’t accept that if you criticise them.”
    Ronaldo added: “My main point is it should come from inside you. You should be proud of yourself, look in the mirror and say: ‘I gave everything.’
    “We are here to help when they need my help, my support, my advice, I will be the number one to help but if you don’t want my help, do your job, look for yourself and do your best to help the team.”
    He said he was talking about young players generally, not just at United, but he could have been talking about so many young people in today’s snowflake society.
    And United fans will know who he was really talking about. 
    That’s why he’s off
    Can the likes of Sancho, Lingard, Martial and McTominay really look in the mirror and say they have given it everything?
    Can even Marcus Rashford, so impressive off the pitch with his relentless campaigning of the government over food for poor kids, be happy with his lacklustre contributions on the pitch that have seen him fall off Gareth Southgate’s England radar?
    If anyone perfectly exemplifies Ronaldo’s criticism, it would be Mason Greenwood.
    Before he was arrested on sexual assault charges in January, after which he was suspended, as a footballer he stood out as a smug, snarling, cocky little berk with a stupefyingly deluded sense of his own importance for someone who’s never won a major trophy for club or country.
    And his dismissive body language towards Ronaldo, whose own trophy cabinet would barely fit inside the Grand Canyon, suggested that he, Mason Greenwood, was simply too good to be sharing a pitch with the old dude in the Nike Mercurials.
    Greenwood would make a perfect Love Island contestant – dumb as a rock.
    As would Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, someone destined to waste his supreme natural ability because he never looks happier than when’s he’s reeling out of a nightclub drunk as a skunk.
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballers.
    That’s why he’s off.
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    And when some of those young United players doubtless shrug off his departure with a dismissive ‘whateva’, here’s one final fact for them to consider: Manchester United didn’t win a single game without him last season.
    Winners, with a winning mentality, tend to win.
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballersCredit: AP
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballersCredit: ITV More

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    No wonder Ronaldo’s quitting Man Utd – he’s pure Hollywood in a team of mediocre Love Island wannabes, says Piers Morgan

    If you had a choice of role models for your children, who would you choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and a Love Island contestant?
    One is the greatest footballer in history and a supremely dedicated athlete with an astonishingly intensive work ethic and health regime.
    If you had a choice of role models for your children, who would you choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and a Love Island contestant?
    One is the greatest footballer in history and a supremely dedicated athlete with an astonishingly intensive work ethic and health regime, says PiersCredit: Instagram
    The other, and I’m talking generally, but I fear accurately, here, is a lazy, spoiled, deluded halfwit who thinks – sadly, with some justification these days – that success and fame can be achieved by behaving like a brain-dead lecherous tool on TV.
    Yet, horrifyingly, many young people are gravitating towards Love Island lifestyle choices, sensing it’s a damn sight easier than actually working for a living, or developing and nurturing a genuine talent.
    To them, racking up social media ‘likes’ for their vacuous antics is the only validation they need to think they’ve ‘made it.’
    I thought of this depressing reality when I heard the entirely unsurprising news that Ronaldo wants to quit Manchester United because he doesn’t think the club shares his ferocious ambition.
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MORGAN.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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    At the heart of his discontent is his belief that not only is the club being very poorly run compared to his first stint there, but many of the younger players just don’t have the same attitude to winning that he had and continues to have.
    Nobody in the history of world sport hates losing more than Ronaldo, with the possible exception of me when I play my kids at Tiddlywinks.
    And his burning frustration at United’s malaise – they finished 6th in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League – has finally boiled over.
    Ronaldo still has incredible hunger, desire, ambition and will to win raging inside his soul like a spewing volcano, which is staggering for someone who is now 37 and has already achieved so much in the game.
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    But there are numerous ‘stars’ wearing the shirt at the club now, and banking huge cheques each week for rankly mediocre performances, whose only real passion, hunger and desire seems to be for self-promotional off-field activities, Twitter/Instagram affirmation, and partying – not putting in the hard yards that it takes to be winners.
    They’re the football equivalent of Love Islanders, a show you can bet your life they all avidly watch.
    And for someone like Ronaldo, that lack of laser-like focus on what really matters, the football, is what’s really behind his decision to want to leave.
    Yes, he wants to play in the Champions League.
    Why the hell wouldn’t he? He’s the greatest champion in the history of the game.

    Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored weekdays on Sky 526, Virgin Media 627, Freeview 237, Freesat 217 or on Fox Nation in the US

    And to those ludicrous football writers trying to make out HE was the problem last season, let me remind them that Ronaldo scored 24 goals including six in the Champions League and 18 in the Premier League, coming 3rd in the Golden Boot competition and beating England’s top striker Harry Kane with one more league goal, despite being nine years older.
    Spoiled brats
    He wasn’t the ‘problem’ – he was the only thing stopping United from battling relegation.
    The real problem was the shockingly unmotivated collection of ineffectual, mentally weak wastrels around him.
    Why should Ronaldo waste another second of his phenomenally valuable time and talent trying to elevate a bunch of over-paid, pampered, prima donna spoiled brats to his level when so many of them just aren’t interested?
    It may beggar belief that United’s younger players wouldn’t hang on his every word given his astonishing success and experience, in the way that he used to with older players like Roy Keane when he was a teenager at the club.
    But many of them don’t.
    They’re too rich, too arrogant, too stupid, too lacking in humility and self-awareness, to tap the brain of the GOAT of their sport, despite possessing trophy cabinets so empty even spiders don’t go inside for fear of getting lonely.
    For a clue to this dismal attitude, look no further than an interview Ronaldo gave at the start of this year to Premier League Productions in which he said: “The older players can always help the young players but if I give you advice, and you don’t implant that in a daily life it will be difficult.
    “You can speak all day with that person. If it’s not coming from inside of you, it’s impossible.
    “I remember when I was 18, 19, 20, some old players speak with me and I put that as, “Cristiano, you know you have to improve. They know more than you, they are more experienced than you.
    “But (current young professional players), they don’t accept that if you criticise them.”
    Ronaldo added: “My main point is it should come from inside you. You should be proud of yourself, look in the mirror and say: ‘I gave everything.’
    “We are here to help when they need my help, my support, my advice, I will be the number one to help but if you don’t want my help, do your job, look for yourself and do your best to help the team.”
    He said he was talking about young players generally, not just at United, but he could have been talking about so many young people in today’s snowflake society.
    And United fans will know who he was really talking about. 
    That’s why he’s off
    Can the likes of Sancho, Lingard, Martial and McTominay really look in the mirror and say they have given it everything?
    Can even Marcus Rashford, so impressive off the pitch with his relentless campaigning of the government over food for poor kids, be happy with his lacklustre contributions on the pitch that have seen him fall off Gareth Southgate’s England radar?
    If anyone perfectly exemplifies Ronaldo’s criticism, it would be Mason Greenwood.
    Before he was arrested on sexual assault charges in January, after which he was suspended, as a footballer he stood out as a smug, snarling, cocky little berk with a stupefyingly deluded sense of his own importance for someone who’s never won a major trophy for club or country.
    And his dismissive body language towards Ronaldo, whose own trophy cabinet would barely fit inside the Grand Canyon, suggested that he, Mason Greenwood, was simply too good to be sharing a pitch with the old dude in the Nike Mercurials.
    Greenwood would make a perfect Love Island contestant – dumb as a rock.
    As would Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, someone destined to waste his supreme natural ability because he never looks happier than when’s he’s reeling out of a nightclub drunk as a skunk.
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballers.
    That’s why he’s off.
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    And when some of those young United players doubtless shrug off his departure with a dismissive ‘whateva’, here’s one final fact for them to consider: Manchester United didn’t win a single game without him last season.
    Winners, with a winning mentality, tend to win.
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballersCredit: AP
    Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s never happier than when he’s training to improve himself, finds this Love Islander attitude inexplicable in professional footballersCredit: ITV More

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    ‘Straight to the gym’ – Tommy Fury back in training as ex-Love Island star nears rescheduled fight with Jake Paul

    TOMMY FURY is back training as he nears a rescheduled fight with Jake Paul. The light-heavyweight boxer had been on holiday in Dubai with his Love Island co-star and girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague.
    Tommy Fury is back in training as he nears a rescheduled fight with Jake Paul
    But the popular reality TV couple have returned home and Fury is already training again as he sipped an ice coffee.
    He posted on Instagram: “Straight to the gym.”
    Fury, 23, was due to fight Paul, 25, in December but was forced to pull out after suffering a broken rib and suffering with a chest infection in training.
    The YouTube star instead knocked out replacement Tyron Woodley, 40, who he initially beat on points in August.
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    It added to KOs over gamer ‘AnEsonGib’, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37, and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37.
    Meanwhile, Fury returned in April beating Pole Daniel Bocianski, 27, on points on the undercard of brother Tyson’s fight at Wembley.
    It was later rumoured that he was in talks to fight Paul once again, who has announced he will make his return on August 6 in New York.
    Promoter Eddie Hearn claimed the celebrity rivals are in negotiations as he gave a damning prediction on the bout.
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    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    Hearn told JOE: “It’s a 50-50 fight.
    “It’s a funny one because it’s terrible for Tommy Fury if he can’t beat Jake Paul, but I don’t think he can beat Jake Paul.
    “Jake Paul didn’t like the fact that I said he was average, but they are both average.
    “I don’t mean that disrespectfully and by the way, there are a lot of average boxers. Average is not bad and it’s not good.
    “So I said to Jake Paul, ‘I actually think that’s a compliment for you, I’m not saying you’re a terrible boxer I’m just saying you’re not very good’.
    “The same advice to Tommy Fury so in that case, it’s a 50-50 fight in that respect.”
    Jake Paul is in rumoured talks with Tommy FuryCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    Who is Michael Owen’s wife Louise Bonsall, how many children do they have and which one is on Love Island?

    MICHAEL OWEN is an England legend and one-time footballing wonderkid.Now he is a BT Sport pundit and a racing horse owner after hanging up his football boots.
    Louise and Michael are childhood sweetheartsCredit: Getty – Contributor
    He has been married to childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall but has she has tended to stay away from the limelight.
    It was revealed that Owen asked former Big Brother contestant Rebecca Jane for nude photos via text message in a seedy exchange.
    Who is Michael Owen’s wife Louise Bonsall?
    The pair met in primary school in 1984 and became childhood sweethearts whilst at Hawarden High School in Flintshire, Wales.
    They became engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2004 – which is also Louise’s birthday – when he proposed at their home.
    Originally, they were set to marry at their home but decided against it due to regulations and had a small private ceremony before having a blessing at their home in front of lots of guests.
    Louise has been described as “not your typical WAG” and has a passion in rescuing horses and their home has grounds where she can keep horses and Michael keeps cars.
    She is known to enjoy the finer things in life and is regularly seen on five-star holidays and wearing designer outfits.
    Louise started riding at the age of seven when her and brother Andrew took lessons at the weekends before her passion grew into helping at the riding school and exercising friends horses.
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#dcdddd;background-color:#ffffff;}.css-14dqn90{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(4px/2);margin-right:calc(4px/2);}.css-12an5ma{font-family:The Sun;font-size:20px;line-height:1.2;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;padding:1px 0px;}.css-12an5ma::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.261875em + -1px);}.css-12an5ma::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:calc(-0.25em + -1.3px);}.css-1tob514{color:rgba(32,134,98,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;margin-right:4px;}.css-1tob514:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Chelsea news .css-1efa55o{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1efa55o:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Blues want £60m Sterling, Kounde, De Ligt and Kimpembe ‘defensive shortlist’
     What was the horse riding accident she had?
    Louise suffered from horrible injuries in 2004 after an horse riding accident.
    She was riding her horse Isobelle when it reared up and unseated her before the horse lost balance and landed on top of her.
    Not long before, Michael had been out with her but he came running back after hearing her scream.
    She spent three weeks in the Countess of Chester Hospital with a back broken in two places and her hip and pelvis in five places.
    This was not the first major horse riding accident for Louise – at the age of 15 she was thrown from a horse and broke her femur – something which caused her to temporarily give up horses as a teenager.
    The 2004 accident saw Louise change her focus and instead of training dressage horses, she moved into rehabilitating horses and became a patron of the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre.
    How many kids do the couple have and which child is on Love Island?
    The pair have four children.
    Daughter Gemma Rose is a contestant on 2022’s Love Island.
    They also have James Michael, Emily May and Jessica.
    Eldest Gemma was born on May 1, 2003 and they were concerned she would not be able to give birth naturally again following the accident.
    Apart from occasional pain in her back and hip, Louise recovered fully and James followed on February,6 2006.
    Second daughter Emily May was born in October 2007 and Jessica in February 2010. More

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    Michael Owen left ‘mortified’ after getting ‘b*****ked by the QUEEN’ for squeezing into a packed lift with Her Majesty

    MICHAEL OWEN has revealed he was “b*****ked” by the QUEEN for squeezing into a packed lift with her.The football legend – who has been squirming this week covering England’s draw in Germany after his daughter Gemma entered the Love Island villa – was left “mortified” after his blunder at Royal Ascot.
    Michael Owen has revealed an awkward encounter with The Queen at the famous trackCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Michael Owen along with England football stars meeting The Queen at Buckingham Palace in October 1998Credit: PA:Press Association
    Detailing the awkward encounter in his book, he wrote: “When she [the Queen] walked into the royal lift there were perhaps 15 of us outside.
    “‘Come on,’ she said, ‘We can all squeeze in’.
    “I obeyed – taking my hat off as I thought that correct etiquette.
    “‘If you’d put your hat back on,’ she said, voice raised, ‘we might all fit in!’
    “I sheepishly put my hat on. I was mortified. To this day I have absolutely no idea if she was joking.
    “Louise was nudging me from the other side trying not to laugh because I’d been b****ked by the Queen.”
    The Liverpool and England legend, who also played for Real Madrid and Manchester United and owns horses himself, also told how he tried to make sure his manners were impeccable during a pre-race meal at Windsor Castle.
    He added: “I was careful to hold my fork in the correct hand and so on. I needn’t have worried. The Queen was throwing bits of starter to her corgis!”
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    The former striker, 42, made a series of stunning revelations in his 2019 autobiography Reboot – My Life, My Time.
    Owen was also confronted with the sad sight of Paul Gascoigne turning up at Real Madrid with his football boots.
    He recalls the time soon after he joined Real when Gazza – who would have been 38 and had been retired for several years – suddenly pitched up in Spain.
    Owen wrote: “I walked into the reception area at Real Madrid and there, in front of me, was Gazza.
    “When I looked closer, he was carrying a pair of football boots. I thought for a split second: What? Have we signed him?
    “Then reality kicked in when I rationalised with myself that, as good as he had once been, there was no way that Real Madrid would have signed Paul Gascoigne in 2005.
    “All I can say is that Gazza didn’t seem to be in the most stable frame of mind.
    “As much as it was great to see him, there was something incredibly sad and poignant about the image of one of my all-time heroes standing in the reception of the Bernabeu holding his football boots.”
    Horse-fanatic Michael Owen and wife Louise Bonsall at a chairty polo event in KentCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma is currently starring in the latest series of Love IslandCredit: Tim Stewart
    Owen made his name playing for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle and Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    England fans all saying the same thing as Michael Owen is trolled on Channel 4 coverage over Love Island daughter Gemma

    MICHAEL OWEN was forced to confront jokes about his daughter’s Love Island foray ahead of England’s clash in Germany.The legendary former striker’s 19-year-old girl Gemma entered the Majorca villa of the hit ITV show on Monday night.
    Michael Owen was forced into an awkward exchange regarding his Love Island daughter while working for Channel 4Credit: Channel 4
    Gemma Owen, 19, hit the headlines after entering the Majorca villa on Monday nightCredit: Rex
    And she is one of the favourites to win Love Island due to her famous father.
    However, Owen might have thought he would escape that unwanted attention and coverage of Gemma’s exploits while working as a pundit for the Nations League game in Germany.
    But the ex-England ace, who scored 40 goals in 89 matches for the Three Lions, had no option but to comment on the awkward situation just seconds into Channel 4’s pre-match build-up.
    Presenter Jules Breach said right at the beginning of the show while introducing Owen: “Joining me hoping to see another famous win for England tonight in Munich, England and Arsenal midfield Jordan Nobbs, former England, West Ham and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole and the father of Love Island’s Gemma Owen.”
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    Breach then asked Owen: “A big night for the Owens last night Michael, how are you feeling?”
    And the former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Stoke City ace replied: “I came all the way to Germany to try and avoid all that back home, but it has been brought up straight away!
    “But I am feeling alright. This is taking my mind off it so don’t bring it back up.”
    Fans quickly took to Twitter after watching the conversation unfold.
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    One wrote: “Michael Owen being a pundit to avoid watching Gemma on love Island lmao.”
    Another commented: “Michael Owen burst onto the scene at 19 it’s only right his daughter does the same.”
    While a fellow viewer said: “Imagine Michael Owen’s come on as a pundit and the first thing they mention is love island how embarrassing.” More

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    Michael Owen said his marriage was a sham and begged me for nude pics, Big Brother’s Rebecca Jane says

    A REALITY TV star has spoken for the first time about how England football hero Michael Owen told her that his marriage was a “sham” — as he asked her for nude pictures.Owen, 42, was at the centre of a scandal last year over his messages to ex-Big Brother contestant Rebecca Jane, 37.
    Rebecca Jane has spoken for the first time about how England football hero Michael Owen told her his marriage was a ‘sham’ — as he asked her for nude pictures.Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    The reality TV star says Owen said he was in a marriage of convenience with childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall, above, and was ‘keeping up appearances’Credit: Getty – Contributor
    Footie legend Michael Owen on the pitch for EnglandCredit: Offside
    She now says he said he was in a marriage of convenience with childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall and “keeping up appearances”.
    But she also revealed she felt 5ft 8ins Owen was too short for her.
    Speaking in detail for the first time about the messages, Rebecca — a regular on ITV’s This Morning and GMB — said she felt like she was messaging a single man after the BT Sport pundit’s assurances.
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15px;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-16djrfc{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-1skzs3j{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The 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OWEN.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}TAKING THE MIC .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}Owen’s sad decline from England hero to Real failure & ‘boring’ pundit tag
    Rebecca, who runs a mental health business, said: “The story that Michael span me was that they were not really married and it was a sham.
    “He said it was a marriage of convenience for the sake of appearances and to keep their racehorse business going.
    “He told me his marriage was over, it was all a big façade and he wasn’t really married any more.
    “I should have perhaps investigated his situation a bit more and been more cautious — but I took him at face value.
    .css-qu9fel{border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-b9nmbi{margin-bottom:16px;border-top:1px solid #dcdddd;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-q8gelu{margin-bottom:24px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The Sun;font-size:24px;line-height:1.1666666666666667;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:semi-condensed;padding:1px 0px;}.css-1x7hydu::before{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-bottom:calc(-0.24520833333333342em + -0.5px);}.css-1x7hydu::after{content:”;display:block;height:0;width:0;margin-top:-0.2333333333333334em;}.css-1lobn43{display:inline;font:inherit;margin:0;color:rgba(0,0,0,1);}.css-1lobn43 svg{fill:rgba(0,0,0,1);}Most read in Football.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-zdjvqv{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:space-around;-ms-flex-pack:space-around;-webkit-justify-content:space-around;justify-content:space-around;margin-top:calc(-12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(-12px/2);}.css-zdjvqv:before,.css-zdjvqv:after{content:”;display:block;}.css-1meuhfk{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-top:calc(12px/2);margin-bottom:calc(12px/2);}
    “He fed me a load of rubbish over a six-week period when I was in communication with him and he wanted to meet me.
    “But it should be remembered that I actually turned him down — I turned him down quite a bit and didn’t meet him.
    “To be honest, he didn’t meet my height requirements.” 
    Rebecca also revealed she spoke to Owen’s wife Louise, 41, for an hour in the days after the story appeared — and said she was “understanding” and accepted her version of events.
    But the ex-footballer’s daughter Gemma was less forgiving, branding Rebecca “desperate” on social media.
    However, Rebecca hit back, saying the 19-year-old — who is due to appear on Love Island from tomorrow — was a “hypocrite”.
    Former Liverpool, Man Utd, Newcastle and Real Madrid star Owen’s squeaky-clean image was shattered last June when it was revealed he had begged Rebecca for nude pictures.
    He also asked Rebecca — who admits she was thrilled to be contacted by a childhood hero — to meet him at Chester races and urged her to “leave nothing to the imagination” in pictures which he would “judge” for her.
    Dad-of-four Owen, who has spoken publicly about his marriage and written two autobiographies, started following Rebecca on Twitter, before swapping messages on the site and then WhatsApp.
    ‘I feel sorry for you’
    He told Rebecca he had viewed one image of her 65 times as they swapped messages and calls during April and May last year.
    After Rebecca sent him pictures, he replied: “Tremendous by way.”
    Rebecca, who appeared on Big Brother in 2017 and has tens of thousands of social media followers, faced a storm when the story about their messages was revealed, although she did not speak publicly.
    And one of those who criticised her was Owen’s eldest child, Gemma, an international dressage rider who enters the Love Island villa in Majorca this weekend.
    As well as her “desperate” jibe on Instagram, Gemma also said: “I feel sorry for you getting your t**s out for a bit of fame” and branded her “the lowest of the low”. 
    She also accused Rebecca of “ignoring” an attempt by her mum Louise to speak to her.
    Rebecca, who lost her previous job at a mental health charity after the story came out and was then in hospital with Covid, said Gemma’s attack added to her woes.
    She said: “I thought it was immature and it caused unnecessary further distress.
    “It was her dad who was in the wrong, and not me — I had taken him at his word and she should have realised that. 
    “I also did not ignore her mum. She had messaged me on a social media site that I was forced to close down, and I did end up speaking to her in the end. 
    “What Gemma said about me was vile, and it seems hypocritical now that she is going into Love Island.
    She needs be careful now she is seeking fame. Good luck to her on the show, though — although I won’t be watching.”
    Mum-of-two Rebecca, whose business helps companies with the mental health of employees, sent a message to Louise, provided her number and asked if she wanted to discuss the messages days after the story came out. 
    She added: “I ended up speaking to Louise about it and in the end, after I explained what happened, she was lovely.
    “It appeared to me that Michael had fed her a load of rubbish too.
    “She thought it was someone else messaging me, like his social media manager, and asked me to prove it was him.
    “I sent her voice notes he had sent me on WhatsApp, and she checked dates and stuff and it all tallied up.
    “She was calm and really understanding, and agreed I hadn’t done much wrong.
    “She realised he had made the running and spun me a few lines.
    “It did make me wonder if it was the first time it had happened or if she had friends that it had happened to before.
    “And I think Louise realised Michael and I didn’t meet up and that he had got carried away.”
    Rebecca, who has a law degree and used to run a love cheat detective agency, says she faced sexual harassment from a boss at the mental health company she was working at when the story broke.
    And she was plunged into despair when the firm — from which she has now taken a payout — released a statement distancing itself from her in the wake of the story.
    Rebecca speaks about her work experiences, and her dalliance with Owen, in the Tim Marner podcast episode out next week.
    Owen and childhood sweetheart Louise married in June 2005, with pictures of their wedding appearing in Hello! magazine. 
    He had shot to global fame aged 18 when he scored a solo wonder-goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.
    Owen was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year months later and went on to score 40 goals in 89 games for England.
    He and Louise founded a stables business in Cheshire and since retiring from football, Michael has worked as a pundit and covered last weekend’s Liverpool v Real Madrid Champions League Final for BT Sport.
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    In 2019 book, Reboot: My Life, My Time he spoke about marriage problems and revealed he had “stared into an abyss called divorce” as he struggled after retiring from football.
    Owen declined to comment

    HEAR more of Rebecca’s story on the Tim Marner podcast on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

    Michael with daughter Gemma who will be heading to the Love Island villaCredit: Instagram/themichaelowen
    Former Big Brother star Rebecca lost her job at a mental health charity after the story came outCredit: PA:Press Association
    Michael has worked as a pundit and covered last weekend’s Liverpool v Real Madrid Champions League Final for BT SportCredit: GettyWe pay for your stories!Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? More

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    Michael Owen said his marriage was a sham and begged me for nude pics, says Big Brother star Rebecca Jane

    A REALITY TV star has spoken for the first time about how England football hero Michael Owen told her his marriage was a “sham” — as he asked her for nude pictures.Owen, 42, was at the centre of a scandal last year over his messages to ex-Big Brother contestant Rebecca Jane, 37.
    Rebecca Jane has spoken for the first time about how England football hero Michael Owen told her his marriage was a ‘sham’ — as he asked her for nude pictures.Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    The reality TV star says Owen said he was in a marriage of convenience with childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall, above, and was ‘keeping up appearances’Credit: Getty – Contributor
    Footie legend Michael Owen on the pitch for EnglandCredit: Offside
    She now says he said he was in a marriage of convenience with childhood sweetheart Louise Bonsall and “keeping up appearances”.
    But she also revealed she felt 5ft 8ins Owen was too short for her.
    Speaking in detail for the first time about the messages, Rebecca — a regular on ITV’s This Morning and GMB — said she felt like she was messaging a single man after the BT Sport pundit’s assurances.
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15px;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-16djrfc{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-1skzs3j{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The 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OWEN.css-1gojmfd{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-gmec1d{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;height:auto;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-align-content:center;-ms-flex-line-pack:center;align-content:center;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;margin-left:calc(-20px/2);margin-right:calc(-20px/2);}.css-fh9577{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;margin-left:calc(20px/2);margin-right:calc(20px/2);}.css-65fvqt{max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-1exhbll{box-sizing:border-box;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(237,245,242,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;max-width:302px;max-height:294px;}.css-bk55po{box-sizing:border-box;display:block;position:relative;margin-bottom:0;}.css-1shocxe{box-sizing:border-box;}.css-1a2irou{box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;}.css-1a2irou 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    Rebecca, who runs a mental health business, said: “The story that Michael span me was that they were not really married and it was a sham.
    “He said it was a marriage of convenience for the sake of appearances and to keep their racehorse business going.
    “He told me his marriage was over, it was all a big façade and he wasn’t really married any more.
    “I should have perhaps investigated his situation a bit more and been more cautious — but I took him at face value.
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    “He fed me a load of rubbish over a six-week period when I was in communication with him and he wanted to meet me.
    “But it should be remembered that I actually turned him down — I turned him down quite a bit and didn’t meet him.
    “To be honest, he didn’t meet my height requirements.” 
    Rebecca also revealed she spoke to Owen’s wife Louise, 41, for an hour in the days after the story appeared — and said she was “understanding” and accepted her version of events.
    But the ex-footballer’s daughter Gemma was less forgiving, branding Rebecca “desperate” on social media.
    However, Rebecca hit back, saying the 19-year-old — who is due to appear on Love Island from tomorrow — was a “hypocrite”.
    Former Liverpool, Man Utd, Newcastle and Real Madrid star Owen’s squeaky-clean image was shattered last June when it was revealed he had begged Rebecca for nude pictures.
    He also asked Rebecca — who admits she was thrilled to be contacted by a childhood hero — to meet him at Chester races and urged her to “leave nothing to the imagination” in pictures which he would “judge” for her.
    Dad-of-four Owen, who has spoken publicly about his marriage and written two autobiographies, started following Rebecca on Twitter, before swapping messages on the site and then WhatsApp.
    ‘I feel sorry for you’
    He told Rebecca he had viewed one image of her 65 times as they swapped messages and calls during April and May last year.
    After Rebecca sent him pictures, he replied: “Tremendous by way.”
    Rebecca, who appeared on Big Brother in 2017 and has tens of thousands of social media followers, faced a storm when the story about their messages was revealed, although she did not speak publicly.
    And one of those who criticised her was Owen’s eldest child, Gemma, an international dressage rider who enters the Love Island villa in Majorca this weekend.
    As well as her “desperate” jibe on Instagram, Gemma also said: “I feel sorry for you getting your t**s out for a bit of fame” and branded her “the lowest of the low”. 
    She also accused Rebecca of “ignoring” an attempt by her mum Louise to speak to her.
    Rebecca, who lost her previous job at a mental health charity after the story came out and was then in hospital with Covid, said Gemma’s attack added to her woes.
    She said: “I thought it was immature and it caused unnecessary further distress.
    “It was her dad who was in the wrong, and not me — I had taken him at his word and she should have realised that. 
    “I also did not ignore her mum. She had messaged me on a social media site that I was forced to close down, and I did end up speaking to her in the end. 
    “What Gemma said about me was vile, and it seems hypocritical now that she is going into Love Island.
    She needs be careful now she is seeking fame. Good luck to her on the show, though — although I won’t be watching.”
    Mum-of-two Rebecca, whose business helps companies with the mental health of employees, sent a message to Louise, provided her number and asked if she wanted to discuss the messages days after the story came out. 
    She added: “I ended up speaking to Louise about it and in the end, after I explained what happened, she was lovely.
    “It appeared to me that Michael had fed her a load of rubbish too.
    “She thought it was someone else messaging me, like his social media manager, and asked me to prove it was him.
    “I sent her voice notes he had sent me on WhatsApp, and she checked dates and stuff and it all tallied up.
    “She was calm and really understanding, and agreed I hadn’t done much wrong.
    “She realised he had made the running and spun me a few lines.
    “It did make me wonder if it was the first time it had happened or if she had friends that it had happened to before.
    “And I think Louise realised Michael and I didn’t meet up and that he had got carried away.”
    Rebecca, who has a law degree and used to run a love cheat detective agency, says she faced sexual harassment from a boss at the mental health company she was working at when the story broke.
    And she was plunged into despair when the firm — from which she has now taken a payout — released a statement distancing itself from her in the wake of the story.
    Rebecca speaks about her work experiences, and her dalliance with Owen, in the Tim Marner podcast episode out next week.
    Owen and childhood sweetheart Louise married in June 2005, with pictures of their wedding appearing in Hello! magazine. 
    He had shot to global fame aged 18 when he scored a solo wonder-goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.
    Owen was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year months later and went on to score 40 goals in 89 games for England.
    He and Louise founded a stables business in Cheshire and since retiring from football, Michael has worked as a pundit and covered last weekend’s Liverpool v Real Madrid Champions League Final for BT Sport.
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    In 2019 book, Reboot: My Life, My Time he spoke about marriage problems and revealed he had “stared into an abyss called divorce” as he struggled after retiring from football.
    Owen declined to comment

    HEAR more of Rebecca’s story on the Tim Marner podcast on YouTube, Spotify or iTunes.

    Michael with daughter Gemma who will be heading to the Love Island villaCredit: Instagram/themichaelowen
    Former Big Brother star Rebecca lost her job at a mental health charity after the story came outCredit: PA:Press Association
    Michael has worked as a pundit and covered last weekend’s Liverpool v Real Madrid Champions League Final for BT SportCredit: GettyWe pay for your stories!Do you have a story for The Sun news desk? More