The saying, “Behind every successful man is a strong woman”, may sound like a cliche. But when it’s applied to the world of men’s football, it’s more than fitting. Over the years, the wives and girlfriends of the England team have often had culture-shaping careers, like Victoria Beckham and her fashion empire, Peter Crouch’s wife, Abbey Clancy and her successful presenting career, or Coleen Rooney and her super-sleuthing investigative skills.
With the 2024 Euros now under way, there is a generation of women behind the men in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad, who have successful careers and pursuits of their own. Find out everything you need to know about them, below.
Alison Southgate, Gareth Southgate’s wife
Southgate has said his “secret weapon” is his wife Alison, one of the main reasons the England manager actively encourages his players to prioritise quality time with their families.
Alison, 57, met Southgate when he was a trainee at Crystal Palace while they were both in their twenties,
Alison was working in a clothing boutique in south London when she first met the football manager, but since then, she has largely kept all aspects of her life out of the spotlight and remains focused on supporting him and their family.
In his memoir published in 2002, Southgate wrote: “On Saturday evening, our children are not too bothered whether Dad’s team have won or lost. Neither does Alison fret too much about football, and this is how I like it.
“Regardless of the result, it is up to me to ensure that no one’s evening is ruined because of things that happened on a football field.”
The pair married in 1997 and a few years later welcomed their daughter Mia, 24, and later their son Flynn, 20.
Dani Dyer, Jarrod Bowen’s partner
Dyer, 27, the daughter of the British actor Danny Dyer, is an actor and reality TV star. In 2018, she appeared on Survival of the Fittest, and later that year won the fourth series of Love Island alongside Jack Fincham.
The following year, Dyer and Fincham starred in the reality spin-off Jack & Dani: Life After Love Island.
She and her father have worked together on various projects: they co-presented the MTV series True Love or True Lies, as well as hosting the podcast Sorted with the Dyers.
Dyer has appeared as a guest presenter on primetime TV, such as BBC’s The One Show, and went on to launch her range of lip products with Vaseline.
She made a guest appearance in the BBC soap EastEnders in 2021, as a taxi driver named Jeanette, acting alongside her father who plays series regular Mick Carter.
She is also the author of memoir and self-help guide What Would Dani Do?: My Guide to Living Your Best Life, which details everything from life in the Dyer household to how she blow-dries her eyelashes, as well as her advice on how to be more confident.
Dyer and Bowen, who started dating at the end of 2021, have twin daughters called Summer and Star. The family also includes Dyer’s son Santi, whom she had with ex-boyfriend Sammy Kimmence.
Laura Celia Valk, Jude Bellingham’s girlfriend
Laura Celia Valk, who is Dutch, is an influencer, model and entrepreneur.
She opened her own social media consultancy agency, Bobby Rose Agency, after studying creative business at the Amsterdam University of Applied Science. Her company is focused on helping businesses grow by improving their social media output.
Laura, who has an Instagram following of more than 370,000, has modelled for fast fashion brand PrettyLittleThing and often travels the world for work. She is represented by Manchester-based modelling agency The Four Models.
She is reportedly in a relatively new relationship with Bellingham, who flew her out to Madrid from where she lives in Amsterdam so they could see each other.
Iris Law, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rumoured girlfriend
Model and actor Iris Law, 23, is following in the footsteps of her celebrity parents Sadie Frost (The Krays, Bram Stoker’s Dracula) and Jude Law (Alfie, The Talented Mr Ripley).
She landed her first job aged 16 and is signed to the international agency IMG Models. She has been immersed in the world of fashion since her mother worked as a fashion designer and supermodel Kate Moss is her godmother.
She has appeared in campaigns for luxury fashion labels including Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney and Versace and became an ambassador for Dior Beauty in 2021.
While it is unconfirmed whether Law and Alexander-Arnold are officially dating, rumours were sparked when they starred in a Guess Jeans campaign together, with the footballer holding the model on his back in a piggyback pose.
Lauren Fryer, Declan Rice’s partner
Lauren Fryer and Arsenal midfielder Rice have been together for eight years after meeting while at school where they grew up in Kingston upon Thames.
The pair welcomed their first child together, a son named Jude, in August 2022, after keeping their pregnancy a secret from the public.
Fryer has been seen attending football matches carrying their baby in a papoose and is regularly pitch-side supporting her partner.
Fryer has not publicly shared her career ambitions or goals, and keeps a relatively private presence on social media, especially after she faced a barrage of abuse from Chelsea fans who chanted a song about her, which contained three offensive slurs, during a match in April.
Katie Goodland, Harry Kane’s wife
Katie Goodland, 31, is a fitness instructor with a degree in sports science, who has dated England striker Kane since they met while in school.
Ahead of the 2024 Euros, she designed a jewellery collection in collaboration with accessories atelier Loquet London, in aid of the Harry Kane Foundation, an organisation aiming to help normalise conversations around mental health.
Speaking to Esquire, Kane said of Katie: “We went to school together, so she’s seen my whole career. Of course, she’s finding it a little crazy. I think she’s even been in the papers a couple of times taking the dogs out.”
Kane proposed to Katie while they were on holiday in the Bahamas in July 2017, with the footballer getting down on one knee on the beach. They married two years later in 2019, with Kane calling Katie his “best friend” in a social media post.
The pair have four children: Ivy, seven, Vivienne, five, Louis, three, and Henry, 10 months.
Tolami Benson, Bukayo Saka’s girlfriend
Tolamni Benson, 23, is Saka’s longtime partner who is regularly seen donning an Arsenal shirt at matches.
While the pair haven’t publicly confirmed their relationship, Benson is often seen at matches and has shared pictures of herself at the Emirates Stadium alongside the partners of Arsenal stars Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard and Ben White.
On the rare occasion that she does post pictures with Saka on social media, his face is not seen in the picture; on one occasion, his face was fully covered by a mask.
Megan Pickford, Jordan Pickford’s wife
Megan Pickford, the wife of goalkeeper Jordan, graduated from the University of Sunderland in 2021.
The pair met at school and have reportedly been together since they were 14.
They have a seven-month-old daughter, Ostara, and a son, Arlo, four, whom they welcomed in 2019.
In June 2022, they married in a beach ceremony in the Maldives, which had been delayed by two years due to the pandemic.
Megan has often moved around the country with Pickford as he moved clubs throughout his career, most recently relocating to Liverpool when he was signed by Everton.
Aine May Kennedy, Conor Gallager’s girlfriend
Aine May Kennedy, 26, is a model and professional dancer from Cork, southern Ireland.
She has been by Gallagher’s side for the past four years, during which time they have moved homes seven times.
Kennedy told her Instagram followers that she was in a “weird stage of life not knowing what I wanted to do career wise” during lockdown, so she decided to take on the project of renovating their home and leading the interior design.
In July 2023, she revealed the results of the transformed home, which features a hallway with a skylight and a sprawling spiral staircase, complete with a bold chandelier.
Explaining why she took the project on herself, Aime said: “Apologies for all the house stories. It’s been one of those weeks where I shouted ‘I done it’ inside an empty house and cried from pure and utter happiness.
“I started this project three years ago when Conor and I got a quote from an interior designer and I put the phone straight down.
“But I am so beyond proud of myself for what I have created. I think it’s so important we praise ourselves when we fail or succeed because we are all only out here trying our best.”
Celebrating their anniversary in May, she wrote on Instagram: “Another year. My best friend.”
“There is absolutely no one else I could spend everyday laughing, joking and bickering over the cleaning with (not to mention he always forgets to take the bins out).”
“We are each other’s best friends and have been since the start. Fred and I love you CG. Happy anniversary.”