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    I didn’t marry Geri because she’s a Spice Girl… she’s a force of nature who calls me out, says Christian Horner

    CHRISITAN HORNER has revealed he did not marry Geri Halliwell because she was a Spice Girl.The Red Bull team principal insisted that he married the singer because he “loved her”.
    Christian Horner says he did not marry Geri Halliwell because she was a Spice GirlCredit: PA
    He insists they ‘complement’ each otherCredit: AFP
    The F1 team got off to the perfect start to the season as team drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez took 1st and 2nd place at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
    However his life is just as hectic at home as he doubles up as Red Bulls’ chief executive of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull Powertrains and Red Bull Advanced Technologies at the factory in Milton Keynes.
    While his wife, Geri, has just finished writing a book for children titled Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen.
    They got together in 2014 and married in 2015, however, some thought that the relationship would not last, but Horner insists that they “complement each other well”.
    READ MORE IN F1
    He told The Telegraph: “You know, life works in mysterious ways.
    “I didn’t marry Geri because she’s a Spice Girl.
    “I married her because I fell in love with her.
    “It will be 10 years this time next year and we’ve been happily married for seven.
    Most read in Motorsport
    “We’re very different characters but we complement each other well.
    “Geri is a force of nature.”
    Horner is used to being in the limelight with the success on the track of F1, but was shocked when the Spice Girls announced their reunion tour in 2019.
    He added: “Wow, it blew my mind.
    “Suddenly you realise the power of that brand.
    “They sold out 13 stadiums in five minutes, and that included three nights at Wembley – they could have done another two nights, easy.”
    Horner also admitted that he was left embarrassed the first time he tried to kiss Geri. More

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    I met my wife because Premier League manager kept sticking me on the bench – I wanted him to come to our wedding

    JULEN LOPETEGUI was almost named Sergio Oliveira’s best man after benching him while at former side Porto.The midfielder has claimed that being benched by the Spaniard turned out to be the “best thing” ever as it allowed him to meet his wife.
    Sergio Oliveira met his wife, Cristiana, after being benched by manager Julen LopeteguiCredit: Instagram @cristianagpereira
    The couple met at Porto’s stadiumCredit: Instagram @cristianagpereira
    They have been married since 2019Credit: Instagram @cristianagpereira
    Oliveira almost asked Lopetegui to be his best manCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Oliveira married Christiana Pereira in 2019 after meeting while he was out of the Portuguese outfit’s side.
    The 30-year-old only featured three times while Lopetegui was manager of the club.
    But it turns out he’s very grateful – and almost gave the boss an important role at his wedding.
    In an Instagram Q&A, Oliveira wrote: “I met my wife at Estadio do Dragao.
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    “Thanks to Lopetegui who always left me on the bench. Best thing ever. 
    “I was close to inviting him to be the best man at the wedding.”
    The midfielder has since made the move to Turkey and is playing for Galatasaray.
    Lopetegui left Porto in 2016 after a year and a half in charge.
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    He went on to manage Spain as well as Real Madrid and Sevilla before joining his current club Wolves this season.
    However, his tenure as Spain’s boss ended on a sour note as he was sacked just one day before the 2018 World Cup in Russia after it was announced he would take over at Madrid following the tournament.
    Oliveira only played three times under the now Wolves managerCredit: EPA
    Oliveira has said that it was the ‘best thing ever’Credit: Instagram @cristianagpereira More

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    I was a record British transfer who marked Man Utd legend George Best then got married the next day

    FORMER full-back Dennis Rofe had the company of two “Best” men for his wedding weekend in 1972.On Saturday November 4, 1972, Rofe was given the tough task of marking George Best as Leicester City drew 2-2 with Manchester United at Filbert Street and the Northern Ireland  wizard scored one of the goals.
    Dennis Rofe marked Manchester United legend George Best a day before getting marriedCredit: PA:Press Association
    Denis Rofe used to be a British record signing back in the dayCredit: Getty
    Dennis Rofe married Sue just a day after one of the biggest moments of his careerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Less than 24 hours later, the Foxes defender married Sue with a more conventional best man.
    Last November Dennis and Sue celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
    Now 72 and retired, Rofe said: “That was quite a 48 hours. All the memories came flooding back when we had our 50th at the end of last year.”
    As a schoolboy, Rofe started playing as a striker before switching to midfield and then full-back, where he spent his entire professional career.
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    Grammar school-educated, he was spotted by Leyton Orient scouts playing in tournaments in East London — with O’s then manager Jimmy Bloomfield a big influence early on.
    Rofe became a key member in the club’s Third Division triumph in 1969-1970 and the 1971-1972 FA Cup run to the quarter-finals.
    He added: “Jimmy became Leicester manager in 1971.
    “It was a no- brainer for me to rejoin my old boss.
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    “I moved to Leicester for a then British record for a defender of £112,000. That lasted just 24 hours because David Nish left  Foxes the next day to join Derby for £250,000!”
    “I joined Leicester on the same day Frank Worthington moved to the club from Huddersfield. What an incredible character Frank was — and so dearly missed.
    “We stayed at the Holiday Inn together for the first few months.
    “I always joke that I moved into the Holiday Inn at the age of 22 and by the time I had spent time with Frank, I was 58 when I left the hotel a few months later!
    “I remember Sue and I buying our first house for £12,000 with a mortgage of £8,000. My dad was panicking, asking me how on earth I was going to pay it back.
    “I absolutely loved my time at Leicester. We would go out once a week — if we didn’t have a midweek game — to a working man’s club and play darts and snooker and would put prizes into the raffle to help the proceeds to underpin these places.
    “I was honoured to get my chance to play for the England Under-23s.
    “I played against Czechoslovakia. I still have the England shirt and cap. They are treasured possessions.”
    ON THE MOVE
    He switched from Leicester to Chelsea in 1980 after Bloomfield left.
    His three seasons with the Blues were spent in the second tier and by 1982 he was keen to move again.
    He said: “I was living in Aldershot and a neighbour suggested I speak to Lawrie McMenemy at Southampton.
    “I managed to get to talk directly to Lawrie in the oddest way. At the time there was a football agent called Dennis Roach, so when I rang to get through to Lawrie, I was put straight through to him — with them thinking I was the agent.
    “McMenemy was very honest with me. He said he was happy to give me three months to see if it worked out. I spent most of the next 23 years at the club as a player and on the coaching staff.”
    After McMenemy left Saints,  Rofe was soon promoted by new manager Chris Nicholl to first-team coaching duties, until the club got rid of them both in 1991.
    Rofe added: “I became manager at Bristol Rovers but the board had   no   money and it was  impossible.”
    He returned to Southampton as youth team coach until 1997 — and had a third stint from 1998 to 2005.
    That left Rofe admitting: “I must be the only person to have been sacked three times there. But I still have a huge soft spot for the place.”
    Incredibly he was appointed by three Saints bosses and survived under SEVEN more.
    Rofe recalled: “I then went on to work for the Football League as a regional manager for its youth development programme. I would oversee the area between Oxford down to Yeovil. I thoroughly enjoyed the role.
    “Then an old mate, Paul Groves, took over at Bournemouth and wanted me to work with him.
    “However, not long after, Paul was replaced by Eddie Howe — a move which proved great for the club.
    “I moved into scouting for clubs like Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Charlton. Then everything changed after the Covid pandemic hit.
    “It completely stopped scouts  travelling around the country.”
    Read More on The Sun
    He added: “I maintain a huge  passion for the game in a lifetime of playing, coaching and managing. I love watching and being part of matches as much now as when I was playing.
    “Yes I’m 72 and was forced into retirement almost because of the restrictions of Covid but I would still love to be involved in the game. That will never leave me.”
    Denis Rofe played for Leyton Orient, Leicester, Chelsea and SouthamptonCredit: Supplied More

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    Man City star Bernardo Silva set to marry stunning fiancee Ines in Portuguese country estate with 350 guests

    MANCHESTER City star Bernardo Silva is set to marry his stunning model girlfriend in July in their native Portugal.Stunning Ines Tomaz showed off her engagement ring last May after revealing she had accepted a marriage proposal from the midfield maestro.
    Bernardo Silva and Ines Tomaz have pencilled in their wedding for July 1
    Ines began dating Bernardo in 2020
    The couple got engaged last MayCredit: Instagram/Ines Degener Tomaz
    And overnight it emerged the couple have set the wedding date for July 1 in the northern city of Porto.
    Respected Portuguese daily Correio da Manha said a reception for 350 guests will take place after the religious ceremony at a country estate in the wine-growing Douro region.
    The newspaper also reported Ines, 28, has been looking at designer wedding dresses in London but is yet to decide on what she wants to wear for her big day.
    Silva, at the centre of recent reports Kylian Mbappe wants PSG to make a fresh move for his former Monaco team-mate this summer, confirmed in May 2020 he had found love again with Ines after his split from French model Alicia Verrando.
    READ MORE ON WAGS
    Ines, whose full name is Ines Degener Tomaz, went public with their relationship by posting footage on her Instagram of the footballer with his arms round her on a beach.
    The playmaker responded with his own photo, showing them oozing happiness and looking tanned and relaxed at a dinner table.
    The couple’s love blossomed during the coronavirus lockdown which they spent with friends in a large house near Lisbon.
    Ines, whose sister Mariana represented Portugal at Miss Global 2017, posted a selfie of her showing off her engagement ring as she cuddled up to her 28-year-old partner when she revealed they were engaged and wrote: “Forever YES. My endless love”
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    The couple shared the good news on Instagram
    They are set to tie the knot in Porto, Portugal
    Ines has been looking at wedding dresses in London
    She finished her romantic message with heart and ring emoticons.
    She added in a separate confirmation: “YES, a thousand times YES.”
    The footballer posted an identical message, and the first person to respond on his social media was the former girlfriend of his Manchester City teammate Ruben Dias.
    Singer April Ivy wrote: “I’m so happy for you, hurrah for the bride and groom.”
    The loved-up couple live in Manchester with their two dogs Charles and John, a French bulldog named after Bernardo’s team-mate John Stones. More

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    Ex-England star Jermain Defoe is ‘dating Love Island wannabe just weeks after collapse of his marriage’

    FORMER footballer Jermain Defoe is dating a Love Island wannabe weeks after his marriage collapsed, it has been reported. The ex England star, 40, has been secretly seeing influencer Alisha LeMay, 31, who was tipped for the ITV dating show in 2019.
    Jermain Defoe is dating a Love Island wannabe after his marriage collapsedCredit: instagram
    He is said to be a ‘regular’ visitor to Alisha LeMayCredit: Instagram/@alishalemayx
    The influencer has posted pictures in several exotic locationsCredit: Instagram/@alishalemayx
    Defoe was pictured without his wedding ring while on holiday in St Lucia
    And he was pictured leaving her home in Harlow, Essex, on Thursday morning. Alisha went to the front door in her brown dressing gown as he left.
    Meanwhile, Defoe wore a blue puffer jacket over a hooded top, designer ripped jeans and black trainers. He also had a Stetson hat and moustache.
    He climbed into his Range Rover before driving away as Alisha waved him off smiling.
    She then walked to her Land Rover Defender to pick up a bag from posh Selfridges, where she used to work as a personal shopper.
    READ MORE ON DEFOE
    TV football pundit Defoe was back again in the evening and drove off again the following morning.
    Sources told the MailOnline he had been a “regular visitor” in the past few weeks. They have also been seen in a nearby cafe.
    Alisha has posted glamorous photos from exotic locations including Jamaica, Ibiza, Paris and Capri in Italy on her social media.
    When she was rumoured to be on Winter’s Love Island, a source said: “Alisha is exactly the type of contestant ITV2 is looking for – she’s gorgeous, body confident and isn’t afraid to be herself.
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    “She already works as an influencer and has collaborated with brands like PrettyLittleThing, Missguided and ASOS.
    “She’s an advocate of body positivity and often admits on her Instagram to never wanting to be perfect, which is an important message to young viewers of the show.”
    Last month Defoe sparked fears his marriage was in trouble after spending Christmas in the Caribbean while wife Donna stayed at home in Glasgow.
    The former Spurs and West Ham star, 40, was pictured without his wedding ring while Donna, also 40, has reverted to her maiden name of Tierney on social media and has unfollowed her hubby.
    Neither of them has posted about each other on social media for eight weeks.
    Both have removed Instagram images of the OK! magazine cover that featured their £200,000 wedding last June.
    The Sun on Sunday revealed Defoe had begged a nurse for sex just a month after getting married.
    A source said: “The marriage seems to be in trouble. You would think they would want to spend their first Christmas together as husband and wife but they haven’t so things aren’t looking at all good.”
    Defoe and Donna married at stately home Cliveden House, in Berkshire, in June last year.
    The lavish bash featured across 14 pages as well as the cover of OK! magazine later that month.
    But the £20,000 wedding has caused a riddle about whether it actually happened.
    The local register office has no record of him and his “bride” Donna Tierney legally getting married at the country house venue, which it normally would do.
    There is also no record of any marriage in Glasgow where they were living at the time on June 4 last year.
    A source said: “It’s all a mystery. They didn’t let the mag have their reporter and photographer at the wedding at Cliveden House.
    “Instead, they had their own photographer and sent them the pictures, and then subsequently gave an interview to a reporter.
    Read More on The Sun
    “But no one is aware of them actually getting married and there were no pictures in the magazine of anyone marrying them.”
    When The Sun approached Donna — who has removed the pics from her social media — and asked if they actually got wed, she said: “Of course we did. I’ve heard these rumours, I don’t know where they’ve come from.”
    Alisha Lemay was rumoured to be on Love Island in 2019
    Former England international footballer Defoe retired from playing last yearCredit: The FA – Getty Images
    Donna Tierney insists her wedding to Jermain Defoe was legitimateCredit: instagram
    Defoe and Donna both spent Christmas apart – which should have been their first together as a married coupleCredit: instagram More

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    Mystery surrounds wedding of Jermain Defoe and estranged ‘wife’ Donna as ‘no record of marriage can be found’

    JERMAIN Defoe’s £200,000 wedding that featured in celeb mag OK! has caused a riddle about whether it actually happened.The local register office has no record of him and his “bride” Donna Tierney legally getting married at the country house venue, which it normally would do.
    Jermain Defoe’s wedding to Donna Tierney is at the centre of a riddle over whether it really took placeCredit: instagram
    The footballer’s wedding cost £200,000 and was featured by OK! magazineCredit: instagram
    Defoe was pictured without his wedding ring while on holiday in St Lucia
    The Sun on Sunday revealed last week that the couple had split and spent Christmas thousands of miles apart.
    Their Berkshire wedding six months earlier featured over 14 pages in the mag and on the cover.
    The split came three months after we revealed former Spurs and England footie ace Defoe, 39, had sent sex texts to a nurse while “married”.
    There is also no record of any marriage in Glasgow where they were living at the time on June 4 last year.
    READ MORE JERMAIN DEFOE
    A source said: “It’s all a mystery. They didn’t let the mag have their reporter and photographer at the wedding at Cliveden House.
    “Instead, they had their own photographer and sent them the pictures, and then subsequently gave an interview to a reporter.
    “But no one is aware of them actually getting married and there were no pictures in the magazine of anyone marrying them.”
    We approached Defoe for comment.
    Most read in Football
    When we approached Donna — who has removed the pics from her social media — and asked if they actually got wed, she said: “Of course we did. I’ve heard these rumours, I don’t know where they’ve come from.”
    Former England international footballer Defoe retired from playing last yearCredit: The FA – Getty Images
    Donna Tierney insists her wedding to Jermain Defoe was legitimateCredit: instagram
    There is also no record of any marriage between Jermain and DonnaCredit: instagram
    Defoe and Donna both spent Christmas apart – which should have been their first together as a married coupleCredit: instagram More

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    Ex-Prem and England ace’s marriage in crisis after spending Christmas apart from wife months after £200k wedding

    TV footie pundit Jermain Defoe has sparked fears his marriage is in trouble after spending Christmas on the Caribbean island of St Lucia while his wife Donna stayed home in Glasgow.The former Spurs and West Ham star, 40, has been pictured without his wedding ring while Donna, also 40, has reverted to her maiden name of Tierney on social media and has unfollowed her hubby.
    TV footie pundit Jermain Defoe has sparked fears his marriage is in troubleCredit: instagram
    Defoe was pictured without his wedding ring while on holiday in St Lucia
    Neither of them has posted about each other on social media for eight weeks.
    Both have removed Instagram images of the OK! magazine cover that featured their £200,000 wedding last June.
    The Sun on Sunday revealed Defoe had begged a nurse for sex just a month after getting married.
    A source said: “The marriage seems to be in trouble. You would think they would want to spend their first Christmas together as husband and wife but they haven’t so things aren’t looking at all good.”
    READ MORE SUN EXCLUSIVES
    Defoe and Donna married at stately home Cliveden House, in Berkshire, in June last year.
    The lavish bash featured across 14 pages as well as the cover of OK! magazine later that month.
    Defoe said at the time: “This is my future, this is forever, this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
    But in October, The Sun on Sunday revealed that Defoe had tried to lure a mum for a romp in the back of his Range Rover weeks after he wed.
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    Donna has not been seen for some time at the couple’s £300,000 home in Glasgow and is believed to be staying with her parents nearby.
    A neighbour said: “I haven’t seen her here for ages. I don’t think she’s living there any more.”
    The couple were last pictured together eight weeks ago at a champagne bash for the former striker’s birthday.
    Prior to that they would regularly gush about each other on their Instagram pages, with holiday snaps and loving posts about “Mr and Mrs Defoe”.
    But for nearly two months there has been a noticeable silence. Defoe has only posted pictures of himself in St Lucia, without his wedding ring and with no mention of his wife.
    One of his followers speculated: “Bro getting divorced already.”
    Wife Donna has reverted to her maiden name of Tierney on social media
    Defoe met Donna in January 2021 when he was playing for RangersCredit: donna_tierney
    Their marriage is thought to be in crisis after The Sun on Sunday revealed Defoe had begged a nurse for sexCredit: Getty
    Meanwhile, Donna has only posted pictures of herself and her family.
    She wished her 8,000 followers “all the love and happiness in the world”, beneath a picture of her 12-year-old daughter unwrapping Christmas presents.
    There was no mention of Defoe and one follower posted: “Are you and JD not together any more?”
    Days later Donna suggested in an Instagram story that she was glad to see the back of 2022 — and was “looking ahead” to the New Year.
    She also posted: “Some people will take you out of the rain and dry you off, some will stand with you and some will turn the rain into a hurricane.”
    Defoe met Donna in January 2021 when he was playing for Rangers and she asked him for a signed football shirt for a charity do. 
    The pair hit it off and Defoe proposed at a Glasgow hotel seven months later.
    He spelled out “Marry me” with lights in their penthouse suite, which he decorated with heart-shaped balloons and rose petals, and got down on one knee to pop the question.
    Their wedding last June was attended by 360 guests, including former England stars Ledley King, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Carlton Cole.
    For the last two months, Defoe has only posted pictures of himself holidaying in St lucia
    The pair chose the swanky 376-acre Cliveden House for a three-day wedding extravaganza, after Defoe read that  Meghan had stayed there on the eve of her marriage to  Prince Harry.
    Defoe wore a cream jacket, black trousers and a bow tie, and said his “eyes just started welling up” when he saw Donna approaching the altar. 
    Their first dance was to Luther Vandross’s Always and Forever.
    The celebrations lasted until 7am and included fire-eaters, flamethrowers, a Caribbean buffet and a makeshift nightclub.
    But within weeks of the wedding he was messaging a nurse and asking her to meet for sex.
    The nurse, who we are not naming, claims that Defoe, who has been dogged by cheating rumours in the past, called her last month insisting she listen to what he had to say — but she quickly hung up.
    She said of his marriage troubles: “Donna must have known what he was like when she got with him — surely she looked this man up. He was messaging me within days of getting married to her.
    “As soon as I heard his voice on the phone last month I hung up. I’m so happy to be done and dusted with all of it.
    “It doesn’t matter who he is or how much money he’s got, there’s no way I’d be in a relationship with a man like him.”
    The pair chose the swanky 376-acre Cliveden House for a three-day wedding extravaganzaCredit: instagram
    Defoe scored 20 goals in 57 games for England. 
    His career included spells at West Ham, Spurs, Rangers and Sunderland. 
    He retired in March last year and is now a youth academy coach and ambassador for Spurs. He also appeared as a pundit on Channel 4’s coverage of England’s matches last year.
    His agents were approached for comment. 
    3 Lions goal ace to OBE honour
    Jermain Defoe notched 20 goals in 57 England matches, including one at the 2010 World CupCredit: The FA – Getty Images
    JERMAIN Defoe became famed for his goal-scoring exploits — and is now often a TV pundit.
    And he has moved into coaching with youth players at his former club Tottenham, where he also works as an ambassador.
    He scored 227 goals in 624 club matches in a career spanning 23 years from 1999 to 2022.
    He also notched 20 goals in 57 England matches, including one at the 2010 World Cup.
    The prolific striker played for a total of seven clubs — West Ham, Spurs, Portsmouth, Toronto FC, Sunderland, Bournemouth and Glasgow giants Rangers.
    Defoe had a loan spell at Bournemouth before a £7million move to Spurs, where he enjoyed the most fruitful days of his career, in 2004.
    Defoe is now often a TV punditCredit: Getty
    In 2008, he switched to Portsmouth but was cup-tied so could not play in any of their matches en route to them lifting the FA Cup.
    Read More on The Sun
    He was awarded an OBE in 2018 for his charitable work with the Jermain Defoe Foundation.
    While playing for Sunderland in 2016, he struck up a close friendship with six-year-old Bradley Lowery who had a debilitating form of cancer. Bradley passed away in 2017. More

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    Aston Villa ace Danny Ings marries stunning partner Anastasia in Barbados beach wedding during World Cup 2022 break

    ASTON VILLA star Danny Ings has married Anastasia Smith in a luxurious Barbados beach wedding. The 30-year-old tied to knot with his now wife, who stunned in a classic off-the-shoulder floor-length dress and veil, on Friday.
    Barefoot Danny Ings was wowed by his wife’s stunning wedding dressCredit: BackGrid
    Ings looked smart in a white suitCredit: BackGrid
    Anastasia Smith wore a off-the-shoulder long dressCredit: BackGrid
    During the wonderful occasion the ex-England striker was pictured with an amazed expression on his face when he saw his model wife in her dress for the first time as he waited for her with flowers.
    Ings wore a dapper ivory white three-piece suit as he gazed into his partner’s eyes.
    The couple held each other posing for photographs in front of a beautiful tropical background as the sun shone.
    Shortly after saying their vows the newlyweds were seen walking hand-in-hand down the isle in front of family and friends.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    The bride then celebrated holding a drink alongside her husband in his relaxed unbuttoned shirt and white trousers.
    The wedding tops a great year for them as they became parents welcoming a baby in April.
    Ings ended up missing Aston Villa’s game versus Wolves to attend the birth and be with the mother of his child, as confirmed by then manager Steven Gerrard.
    Ings previously dated Australian model Georgia Gibbs for two years before they split in 2018.
    The couple were all smiles on their special dayCredit: BackGrid
    They held each other on the soft sandy beach in BarbadosCredit: BackGrid
    Anastasia was pictured with her dazzling ringCredit: BackGrid
    Ings gave flowers to his wife Anastasia SmithCredit: BackGrid
    Anastasia used to go out with a member of The VampsCredit: BackGrid
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    He also had a relationship with Ruby Blake, who once went out with Love Island’s Kem Cetinay.
    Meanwhile, Anastasia used to be with The Vamps drummer Tristan Evans.
    Ings has a number of weeks off to spend with his wife before Villa are in back in action after the World Cup when they face his former club Liverpool.
    Ings put his arm around Anastasia as the ceremony took place in the Caribbean islandCredit: BackGrid
    The mother smiled at her young child who was born earlier this yearCredit: BackGrid
    Ings has previously played for Liverpool, Burnley and SouthamptonCredit: BackGrid
    Tristan Evans and Anastasia Smith were engaged before they separatedCredit: anastasiabsmith/Instagram More