Many consider the 2006 World Cup as the moment the footballers’ wives and girlfriends really stepped out into the limelight.
England’s performance was pretty terrible on the pitch, but they were eclipsed off it by the WAGs who grabbed the headlines in Baden-Baden.
There was dancing drunk on tables, racking up extortionate hotel bills and one was sent home early amid a drug scandal.
But many people may have forgotten about the original class of WAGs who were dating football’s elite during the start of the Premier League in the 90s.
Victoria Beckham may have been the queen of the WAGs, but she was not the only Spice Girl dating a footballer.
The early Premier League stars loved to date a celeb – with many going on to become very famous faces.
Here is a look at who they dated and what those original WAGs are up to now:
Emma Bunton
Baby Spice had a fling with Rio Redinand (Image: Dave Hogan)
While Victoria Beckham was having a successful relationship with David Beckham, fellow Spice Girl Emma Bunton nabbed a footballer of her own.
Having spit from singer Jade Jones, Baby Spice was introduced to West Ham defender Rio Ferdinand by Posh and Becks.
They started dating in 1999 but the romance did not last very long and in November 2000 she got back with Jones.
Emma and Jade split up once again in 2002 and was then linked with American pop sensation Justin Timberlake.
But in 2004 she got back with Jones for good and the pair have two children together.
The couple got engaged in January 2011 but Emma has stated that she does not want to get married, saying: “We don’t need a wedding to justify our relationship.”
Davina McCall
Davina was seeing Stan Collymore in the 90s (Image: Redferns)
A surprise addition to the list, many will have forgotten that Davina had a romance with ex-Liverpool midfielder Stan Collymore.
During her days as an MTV presenter, Davina had a brief fling with Stan just after he moved from The Reds to Aston Villa in 1998.
In his autobiography, Tackling My Demons, Stan revealed that the former Big Brother presenter was ‘the one that got away’ and losing her was one of his biggest regrets.
He claimed he would have married Davina if it wasn’t for another woman “messing” with his head.
Davina went on to marry Matthew Robertson in 2000 and they had three children together, but they separated in 2017.
The Masked Singer judge is now dating hairdresser boyfriend Michael Douglas.
Ulrika Johnson
Ulrika also dated Stan Collymore (Image: Daily Mirror)
The Swedish TV presenter, who divorced her first husband John Turnbull in 1995, then started dating England striker Stan Collymore.
But their relationship came to a terrible end during the 1998 World Cup when Collymore violently assaulted Ulrika during a row in a Paris bar.
In a statement, Collymore said: “My actions were totally reprehensible, something I am not proud of and finding very difficult to come to terms with.”
In an interview with Heat Magazine in 2000, Ulrika admitted she would never forgive Collymore for what happened.
“I think something like what he did is so monumental and so unforgivable that at some stage the man needs a reality check,” she said.
She added: “I certainly won’t forgive him for what he did and he is certainly not a friend of mine.”
Ulrika confirmed she had an affair with England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson in April 2002.
She explained the relationship was over and denied issuing Sven with an ultimatum to leave then girlfriend Nancy Dell’Olio.
Ulrika, who has been married three times and has four children, split from Brian Monet in April 2019 and went looking for love on dating show First Dates Hotel.
Dani Behr
Dani is another of Ryan Giggs’ ex-girlfriends (Image: Getty Images)
At just 17-years-old, Dani rose to fame presenting the outrageous late night Channel 4 show, The Word, in 1992.
The gorgeous blonde caught was also one of the original WAGs thanks to her relationship with Manchester United star Ryan Giggs.
But they split after a year with Dani claiming Giggs’ manager Alex Ferguson had made things ‘difficult’.
“I lived in London and Ryan was in Manchester and he didn’t like his team travelling a long way so that was difficult. He controlled Ryan,” she told the Sunday People in 2015.
“I got so much attention then, I was never out of the papers. I guess we were the first showbiz – footballer couple so there was a huge interest in us.”
Dani now runs her own real estate agency in LA (Image: Rupert Thorpe)
Then came a four-year romance with Spurs and England star Les Ferdinand, which collapsed when he was pictured leaving a hotel with another woman.
“It was awful, one of the most awful moments of my life,” she said. “I was heartbroken.”
In 2001 she had a one-year romance with Australian goalkeeper Mark Bosnich.
With her TV career in the UK hitting a stumbling block, Dani moved to LA to host US entertainment show, EXTRA, and while there met restaurateur Carl Harwin.
They married in 2005, welcomed children Coco, 15, and Zane, 13, and relocated to Sydney, Australia, but they divorced in 2014.
Dani has now moved back to the US and after retraining as an estate agent has started her own agency selling multi-million dollar properties to the rich and famous in LA.
Caprice
Caprice had a relationship with Tony Adams (Image: Daily Mirror)
American model Caprice has a string of famous exes, including former Arsenal captain Tony Adams.
The Vogue, Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated cover girl had a fourth month relationship with the Gooners defender back in 1999.
In his autobiography, Sober, Adams said: “Caprice made it plain she was attracted to me. I don’t think it was purely physical – and there were plenty who would say I was punching above my weight.
“I liked her very much, she was an honest and sincere woman. And I have to say, I felt like a king in the company of this beautiful woman.”
While Adams admitted the couple had a strong mutual attraction he says their relationship ultimately broke down because there was no “emotional connection”.
Caprice has moved on from footballers (Image: Joe Maher/WireImage)
He added: “I did have second thoughts – and there is always regret when a relationship ends. But I knew it was right to move on.”
Caprice went on to date England cricketer Kevin Pieterson and was rumoured to be seeing Calum Best – the son of Manchester United legend George Best.
Caprice tied the knot with millionaire husband Ty Comfort in a secret ceremony before Christmas last year.
The couple have two sons, one of which was born by a surrogate after the model battled fertility problems.
Davinia Taylor
Davinia Taylor and ex Dave Garner
The Hollyoaks actress, who played Jude Cunningham on the soap from 1996 to 1998, was part of the famous Primrose Hill set in the 90s.
As well as being pals with the likes of Kate Moss, Sadie Frost and the Gallagher brothers, she had relationships with a host of top Premier League stars.
She was briefly dating Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp – and was rumoured to have gone out with his teammates Robbie Fowler and Phil Babb.
But her most high-profile relationship was with Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs.
When asked if she got tired of being linked to the footballer by Terry Christian in 1998, Davinia said: “It’s hard to get yourself out of that category but it’s something I’ve got to expect.
“Ryan was a big player and he’s bound to be mentioned every time I’m mentioned and vice versa. I’m just going to have to get used to it and live with it.
“I should never have gone out with him in the first place.”
In 2003 she married football agent Dave Garner, who is best friends with David Beckham, but the pair divorced in 2009.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
