MARRYING a footballer is billed as living a life of luxury with endless funds, lavish holidays and massive mansions – all while wearing the latest designer clothes.But there is a much darker side that comes with having a partner who earns a living from the beautiful game.Declan Rice’s partner Lauren has become the target of cruel trollsCredit: Instagram @laurenfryer_Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha was sent hundreds of death threats a day during the 2020 EurosCredit: @sasha__rebeccaLizzie Cundy knows how it feels to get abuse because of who you loveCredit: GettyDeclan Rice’s girlfriend and mother of his child, Lauren Fryer, 25, has become the target of cruel trolls calling for the player to leave her as he “could do better”.The abuse has led her to remove all her Instagram photos and Declan, 25, has publicly defended her and declared his love. Former WAG Lizzie Cundy, who was also the victim of trolls while married to former England star Jason, told The Sun life as a WAG can be tough.“This isn’t about getting out tiny violins, it’s realising everything isn’t as cushy as it looks,” she says.READ MORE FEATURES“It’s actually a really lonely life and you have to grow eyes in the back of your head to keep on top of everything.“You never have a chance to settle somewhere. There’s a lot of jealousy and envy and with social media, trolling has intensified.“Strangers who don’t know your life suddenly feel entitled to comment on it.”Arsenal star Declan was forced to defend his childhood sweetheart, who he has been with for eight years, saying she is “beautiful” and kind and he loves her even more since the birth of their son, Jude, in 2022.Most read in Celebrity “She is the love of my life and I don’t need an upgrade,” he added.Tragically, Lauren’s experience is far from isolated and many other wives and girlfriends of football stars have found themselves in the firing line.Meet Jude Bellingham’s glam new WagJack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood was sent 200 death threats a day during the 2020 Euros after the pair went public with their romance. The stunning model revealed: “They said, ‘I hope you get cancer and die’ or ‘I hope your whole family dies’.“They say, ‘I hope the next time you’re in the car you crash it and die, I hope after Wembley you die’.”She was still being inundated with the abuse a year after the competition took place.Sasha, who’s dating Jack Grealish, received messages wishing she died from cancerCredit: Refer to CaptionLizzie commented: “I used to get trolled back when I was with Jason but it’s nothing like what the girls deal with today. “It is something that social media companies have a responsibility to stop. “As easy as it is to say ‘don’t read it’, you often can’t help it. You wake up every morning and look at your phone, and it’ll be right there.“It’s heartbreaking to read things like that.”Relationship expert Jo Hemmings says trolling is almost inevitable for modern day WAGS.“Unfortunately, it is unlikely that any WAG will completely avoid trolling. Fans have unrealistic expectations of them – both in the way they look and the way they behave,” she adds.”It still holds true for some that they should be seen (looking amazing obviously) but not really heard, as their primary role is perceived to be that of supporting their partners.“Most deal with it pretty well. Ignoring it in the main, while always feeling the pain – they may be treated as a sport star’s accessory, but they are human and vulnerable just like the rest of us.”I thought I was going to be killed. It was like a movie. I feared all sorts of things were going to happen. I honestly didn’t know what was going to come next.Ruby MaeEven veteran WAGs like Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney, Cheryl Cole and Rebekah Vardy have experienced abuse online for being with their respective partners. Jo, who also works as a psychologist, said: “Back in the day, when they originally got their title, WAGS often had successful careers of their own but were seen as lucky to have bagged a top ranking footballer as a partner. “There were implicit expectations that they looked uber-glamorous at all times, with styles that girls wanted to emulate, early influencers if you like. “But it also felt demeaning, women who were treated as little more than not very bright clothes horses.”Burglary hellSocial media has intensified the expectations placed on women married to footballers but it also has another unintended consequence: burglaries.Crooks use both social media and match fixtures to work out when the footballer and his family are away, leaving their house vulnerable.Even more terrifying are those who raid the property when the entire family is home – as happened to Ruby Mae and Dele Alli, 28, in 2020.Dele Alli’s partner Ruby Mae feared death during a terrifying raid at their homeCredit: Social Media – Refer to SourceRuby described fearing she was ‘going to be killed’ during the raidCredit: Refer to CaptionRaheem Sterling and partner Paige had their £3m mansion broken into tooThe model, 29, told The Sun: “I thought I was going to be killed.”It was like a movie. I feared all sorts of things were going to happen. I honestly didn’t know what was going to come next.”Dele was roughed up by the armed raiders, who also grabbed Ruby to take her rings and bracelets.The crooks had evaded security at the London home before terrorising the couple and escaping with £350,000 of watches and gems.Lizzie, who was wed to Jason Cundy from 1994 until 2012, knows how it feels to be targeted all too well. She said: “I had been away in Barbados on a publicised holiday and I’d returned a day early. “Two men tried to break into my house when I was in the bath but thankfully someone called the police after spotting them.Football will always come first. You never will. That’s the reality. If there’s a game on an important date, they’ll still play it.Lizzie Cundy“I don’t know what would have happened if they’d got in. It’s not uncommon. “They can use social media to know where you are, especially if you’re in the public eye. “It’s really frightening and being burgled is really hard to get over and recover from especially as wives and girlfriends spend a lot of time at these big homes alone.”Footballers spend almost half a year playing away games, meaning their partners are often left behind with the kids or on their own. For Raheem Sterling’s fiancee, a nightmare took place when she walked in during a raid in progress at their £3million mansion. Paige, 23, had been out shopping before returning home – a place we all expect to be safe. A source said: “Paige was obviously distraught. She had her hands full of shopping when she came in to find the intruder.Raheem paid £15,000 for a guard dog and hired 24/7 securityThe boarded up windows of Raheem’s home, in Holmes Chapel, shortly after the burglaryCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd“She was terrified and the man escaped. Raheem was so shaken he hired a 24/7 security team and paid £15,000 for the guard dog from a specialist protection firm.”The burglars who raided the Chelsea ace’s home are dubbed “The Away Day Robbers”, because they target footballers’ homes when they are due to play a game.Declan and Lauren relationship timeline
2016 – Rice and childhood sweetheart Lauren get together as teenagers
May, 2017 – Rice makes his West Ham debut in a clash with Burnley
March, 2019 – The Hammers ace makes his England debut after switching allegiances from the Republic of Ireland
August, 2022 – Rice confirms the birth of his son, Jude
November, 2022 – Lauren heads to Qatar to support her man at the World Cup
July, 2023 – Rice leaves West Ham to join Arsenal, with Lauren regularly supporting him at games at the Emirates
April, 2024 – Lauren wipes her Instagram account after vile bullying by trolls
‘Very lonely life’Spending large amounts of time without a significant other can leave WAGs feeling isolated and lonely, as Lizzie found. “The sad reality is that it can be a very lonely life,” she said. “You’ll never really have a Christmas together as the big games are on Boxing Day.“Football will always come first. You never will. That’s the reality. If there’s a game on an important date, they’ll still play it.You can feel people judging you, and you have no idea who to trust or who will be friendly. It’s hard to make a close circle of friends.Lizzie Cundy“You have to grow thicker skin and learn to be ok with being alone.”Jo said: “These are conversations that every WAG will have their partner. They know that the sport comes first and there will be times when their husband can’t be there for special occasions. “I think most get around it by arranging their special day on the next available date their partners are free and learn not to fret about it not being on the actual day itself.“It is not the lifestyle for every woman, there are a lot of compromises to be made and some, especially with their own careers, find that very hard to accept.”’Vicious circle’Given the vast sums footballers are paid, it’s no wonder they are at the club’s beck and call. The players and their family are often relocated at short notice, sometimes that can be a change of country, just like Harry Kane and his brood.Harry Kane and Katie moved to Germany recently as part of his transferCredit: GettyLizzie says it can be hard constantly moving to new areas but ‘it’s the price you pay’Credit: GettyBut that means a big upheaval for both kids and the partners.“You can finally feel settled and then suddenly at the click of a finger you’re having to move again,” Lizzie said. “It’s a kind of vicious circle. You don’t know where you’re going to be or for how long. “I always found walking into the player’s lounge when we moved was like the first day of school.“You can feel people judging you, and you have no idea who to trust or who will be friendly. It’s hard to make a close circle of friends. “It’s the price you pay, and you just have to suck it up and get on with it.”More often than not, I was always the villainVictoria BeckhamThe Beckhams went through it when David was suddenly transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid – briefly separating the young family.Victoria voiced her unhappiness about the move in Netflix’s doc Beckham. She said: “I was like ‘what do you mean we don’t have anywhere to live, we don’t have schools for the children, what do you mean?’ But the reality is that we moved to Spain.”Asked how she felt about the move, Victoria said: “Less than ideal.”She later added: “More often than not, I was always the villain.””It was never about Spain, we had a family we had to think about. I had two children, Brooklyn and Romeo, and this is what nobody seemed to take into consideration, when I was getting criticised for not being in Spain from the beginning.”A kid has to go to school, I knew I couldn’t move until I had a school for Brooklyn. I was doing Monday to Friday in London and then jumping on a plane to Spain.”In the documentary, David admitted to feeling lonely without his family and spending a lot of time on the phone while they were apart.Jo said: “Moving constantly is exhausting – emotionally and physically. Children have to move school frequently, make new friends, only potentially to be moved again. It means that their family unit has to be very tight and organised.“Those children need constant reassurance from both parents. And the WAGS themselves also miss family and friends during these constant moves and probably make many transient friendships that work for them, during each moving phase.”Strength in loveLauren’s vile trolling has shone a spotlight on the dark side of being a WAG but Jo believes the couple can weather the storm.“Lauren and Declan are a strong and enduring couple, they’ve been together since they were 17 and have a child together.” she said.READ MORE SUN STORIES“The trolling will cause them inevitable distress, but it’s clear that Lauren is a grounding force in Declan’s life, enabling him to be anchored to reality and family life, and he’ll probably be a better footballer for it. “Their strength together will allow them to see this as cruel nonsense and nothing more.” More
