Battle of the World Cup WAGS: The VERY glamorous Welsh partners take on the wives of England

As Wales and England prepare to face off against each other in a World Cup 2022 match this evening, players on both sides will have support from a very glamorous bunch of WAGS.

A glossy posse including a sports instructor, an interior designer and childhood sweethearts will be cheering on their Welsh football players as they take on the Three Lions tonight.

But how do they measure up against the well-heeled other halves of the England team? 

The squad will be supported by WAGS such as Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood as well as Harry Maguire’s wife Fern Hawkins, and Harry Kane’s wife Katie Goodland.

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at the partners supporting their footballers… 

WALES WAGS

JODIE FRANCIS

Engaged to Chris Mepham

Chris Mepham proposed to his long-term girlfriend Jodie Francis in Dubai in July 2022.

The Bournemouth and Wales team footballer popped the question to Jodie while on holiday in the United Arab Emirates.

Mepham, 24, posted a picture on Instagram from their romantic proposal, and wrote: ‘She said YES!!!’

He added: ‘Cannot begin to explain how grateful I am to have you in my life, I can’t wait to one day marry you and spend the rest of my life with you.’

He proposed on a beach bed filled with roses, with his bride wearing a cream cut-out dress for the special moment.

ABBY CLAYBROOK

Married to Harry Wilson 

Abby Claybrook, 24, is the wife of footballer Harry Wilson, and has been a constant in his life since he emerged on the scene as a youngster at Liverpool.

The first picture of them together was revealed on Instagram in 2014, when Claybrook was just 15 and Wilson was 16.

Abbey, who finished a degree in Liverpool, enjoys a Wag’s lifestyle, often opting for designer ensembles and enjoying luxurious holidays.

On Instagram, she regularly shares snaps from her trips abroad with Wilson, including visits to Paris, Ibiza and Dubai.

Back in 2020, Abby and Harry added to their household with a Poodle cross, although the pooch’s name isn’t known.

REBECCA NAYLOR

Dating Danny Ward 

Out of the entire Welsh squad, goalkeeper Danny Ward seems to be one of the most loved-up men on the team.

The Leicester City player welcomed son Albie with long-term girlfriend Rebecca Naylor in November 2019.

Although the couple have never confirmed when they started dating, Danny first appeared on Rebecca’s Instagram in 2016.

The proud mum’s Instagram feed is full of glamorous photos from their exotic travels over the years – from the Seychelles to Dubai.

On his 26th birthday, Rebecca lovingly referred to her partner as her ‘world’ – just months before they became parents for the first time. 

Sharing a gushing post on Danny’s special day in 2019, Rebecca wrote: ‘Happy 26th birthday to my world! Hope you have the most amazing day! 

‘We’re so lucky to spend your birthday in such beautiful places! I love you always.’

CHARLOTTE RUSSELL

 Engaged to Kieffer Moore

Alongside her modelling, Kieffer Moore’s fiance Charlotte Russell refers to herself as a ‘content creator’ on Instagram and boasts a cool 10,200 followers.

In a recent post, the bride-to-be explained how it’s her ‘dream’ to one day become a TV presenter and shared some behind-the-scenes photos of a top-secret project she’s been working on.

In May, Bournemouth striker Kieffer got down on one knee and proposed to Charlotte during a romantic trip to Greece.

Sharing the happy news on his Instagram, he wrote: ‘The most incredible woman and I can’t wait to marry her!’

Shortly before they got engaged, Charlotte posted a gushing post expressing how proud she was of her other half for getting promoted to the Premier League.

She wrote: ‘What a journey it has been. To come from non league, to playing for your country and now scoring the winning goal to secure promotion. 

‘You bloody did it babe and it couldn’t have happened to a better person. Beyond proud of you!’

EMILY CAPLAN

Married to Ben Davies

Going against footballer tradition, Ben Davies and his wife opted for a low-key wedding when they tied the knot at Old Marylebone Town Hall in June.

However, they then went on to host a lavish reception with friends and family at the Victoria and Albert museum in South Kensington.

The Tottenham Hotspur player and his new wife are both 29 and appear to spend most of their time in London – even though their work takes them around the country.

When she’s not cheering her husband on at matches, Emily is an interior designer and works in properties across the UK.

Although Ben has never publicly spoken about his relationship, the two make regular appearances on each other’s Instagram pages and gushing refer to each as ‘my love’.

EMMA RHYS-JONES

Married to Gareth Bale 

Gareth Bale and Emma Rhys-Jones are both from Cardiff and met at Whitchurch High School in the Welsh capital. 

Emma and Welsh footballer Bale became engaged at a private party in the Vale of Glamorgan in July 2016, before marrying in 2019.

The couple’s first child, Alba Violet, was born in Cardiff in October 2012. They had another daughter, Nava Valentine, in March 2016, and Axel Charles, born in May 2018. Son Xander Frank was welcomed into the world in July 2021.

While Bale is one of the biggest names in football, his wife largely shuns the limelight.

But the Real Madrid star makes regular gestures to the mother of his children, often marking a goal for either club or country with his heart goal celebration, which he trademarked in 2013.

Tee-total, Bale is a man who prioritises his family life and is rarely seen out partying, preferring to indulge in his love of golf away from football.

The couple were married in front of a 60-strong guest list on the exclusive Spanish island of Tagomago off Ibiza in the summer of 2019.

RIA HUGHES 

Engaged to Dan James 

Ria Hughes, who works as a sports instructor for a gymnastics club, became engaged to Wales winger and her partner of five years Daniel James in June 2022.

He proposed in Mykonos, surrounded by the picturesque ocean and hilltops, with large white letters spelling out ‘MARRY ME’ placed in the background of their venue.

The newly-engaged pair were all smiles as they posed for pictures to celebrate the special moment, before the footballer shared them to Instagram.

James opted for a white shirt and beige shorts, while Ria looked elegant in a silver crop top and white flares.

Their infant son also joined them for the momentous occasion. He was born in September 2021, just after James completed his £25million transfer to Leeds from Manchester United. He is currently on loan at Fulham.

The couple live with their adorable cockapoo, Hugo, who she gave to Daniel as a 21st birthday gift. 

COLLEEN RAMSEY

Married to Aaron Ramsey 

Aaron Ramsey and his wife Colleen share three sons, Sonny, seven, and twins Tomas and Teddy, three.

The midfielder married his childhood sweetheart at Caldicot Castle in his native Wales in 2014.

Ramsey arrived by helicopter for his big day and opted for a smart navy suit and tie. Guests included Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and former Welsh international teammate Craig Bellamy.

The kindhearted pair asked guests to donate money to the Parkinsons UK charity rather than bringing gifts.

Writing on Colleen’s JustGiving page, they said: ‘We are very blessed people and we know we are also hard to buy for – so instead of gifts we would like to offer our guests the opportunity to give to charity.

‘The many hard working people at Parkinson’s UK will put your donations to very good use. Mr and Mrs Ramsey xx’

Later Ramsey – who went on honeymoon in Venice – tweeted: ‘Thank you to everyone who was a part of the last week for making it so special for us #MrAndMrs’  

GEORGINA MARCELLA

 Engaged to Connor Roberts

In March 2022, Connor Roberts and his fiancee Georgina Marcella welcomed their first daughter together.

Although Connor has made a name for himself as a football hero, his fiance Georgina is also a rising star in the music industry.

The new mum’s band Rendez Vous at Two has amassed over 8.1m streams on Spotify.

While Georgina was still pregnant, the Burnley star was rushed to hospital with pneumonia in December 2021.

Posting a photo from the waiting room, the then mother-to-be wrote: ‘By your side through anything.’

In another Instagram post, Georgina added: ‘Me and bump will spend every day in hospital beside you until you’re better & back home. I love you.’ 

Speaking to Lancashire Live following his recovery, Connor said: ‘Georgina was incredible through it all.

‘She’s pregnant but since we came here it’s not been about her bless her. I’ve been injured and down in the dumps so she was brilliant and wants to see me happy and playing football.’

LACEY-JO ALLEN

Married to Joe Allen 

Joe and Lacey Allen, whose son Alfie was born in September 2012, were married in a ceremony on the Gower Peninsula in south Wales in 2014.

Inherently private, he was a little embarrassed when Lacey posted a photograph on Twitter of 2014’s birthday present. 

Then again a photograph of a top footballer holding a live chicken is rather unusual.

‘It was just a “What do you get the guy who has everything?” kind of present,’ laughed Allen, in an interview with MailOnline a year later.

‘My wife is a big animal lover and it was, yeah, my surprise present. It has got a name but I’m not telling you! We already had a couple of chickens and this is a cockerel. That was the point of it really. In the dressing room, it’s a bit of a random one.

‘I keep my private life private and I guess that was a rare insight. We didn’t realise what impact it would have but it was harmless enough.’

Speaking to Chicken and Egg magazine in 2016, the Welshman, who at the time was taking care of 16 pet chickens with his wife, said: ‘Lacey was behind the decision… we both have an interest in animal welfare but she came up with the idea to save hens and I agreed it was something that would be great to do.

‘We didn’t have any hens growing up but wanted to help chickens after they finished their commercial lives.’ 

ENGLAND WAGS 

MEGAN DAVISON

Married to Jordan Pickford

Megan Davison met Everton ace Jordan Pickford when they were teenagers. The childhood sweethearts have been dating since she was 14 and he was 16 after meeting at school and share a son, Arlo.

The pair went out on their first date to the cinema while he was a pupil at St Robert of Newminster Catholic School in their native Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Megan, now 26, graduated from university in 2019. She had son, Arlo, in February that year, and the couple were married in March 2020 at a register office in Crewe, having had to postpone their lavish Maldives nuptials due to the pandemic.

The ceremony was distinctly understated, with Pickford wearing a baseball cap and ripped jeans, while the bride wore Givenchy studded boots and carried a Dior handbag.

An Instagram star with platinum hair and a love of shopping, Megan has assumed a ‘mother hen’ status with the other wives.  Ahead of the opening game of the Euros against Croatia, she arranged a pre-match party for them (pictures from which she shared on Instagram.)

She sparked controversy in December last year after sharing a message in support of anti-vax protestors. Megan shared a photo from the so-called Freedom March that sparked chaotic scenes across central London on December 18.

The demonstration, declared a ‘major incident’ by London mayor Sadiq Khan, was attended by thousands of anti-vaxxers after further restrictions were put in place to slow the spread of new coronavirus variant Omicron.

Davison appeared to show a degree of empathy for the mob by sharing a photo of one protestor holding a placard emblazoned with the message: ‘Even if you’re not conspiracy minded, something in your soul has to say…something is wrong.’

The photo was posted without additional comment from the mother-of-one, and is no longer present on her Instagram account.

CHARLOTTE TRIPPIER 

Married to Kieran Trippier 

Newcastle defender Kieran Trippier has been married to wife Charlotte since June 2016 and they have three children.

Charlotte, 31, delves into the fashion world with her sibling Rosie and they blog as ‘The Style Sisters.’

The couple have a son Jacob, a daughter Esme Rose and welcomed a third child this summer in June.

In an interview with MailOnline, his proud father Chris said his son should be given the Freedom of Bury, the town where he grew up, for his efforts to bring England silverware.

FERN HAWKINS 

Married to Harry Maguire

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire is married to Fern Hawkins and they have two daughters.

Fern, who describes herself to her 100,000 Instagram followers as ‘mommy and wife’ is not shy of posting pictures of herself on glamorous nights out and with her husband.

The Sheffield beauty, a First Class Graduate in physiotherapy, regularly posts photos of her amazing physique in bikini shots on social media.

Clearly besotted with each other, the couple are frequently seeing enjoying romantic holidays, with Fern sharing snaps from sun-drenched villas and sojourns to Paris.

The 27-year-old science and physiotherapy graduate first met Harry when he was 18 and playing for Sheffield United’s youth team.

She joined Harry’s family in supporting him at the last World Cup in Russia and publicly hugged and consoled him after England were knocked out in the semi-final by Croatia.

ANNIE KILNER 

Married to Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker met Annie Kilner when he was 18 while he was playing at his hometown club Sheffield United, when the model was 16. The smitten couple are parents to three children – Roman, Riaan and Reign.

Having supported Kyle through the 2018 World Cup, in March 2019, she dumped him after he allegedly sent messages to Ex On The Beach reality star Laura Brown.

As well as the three children he shares with Annie, Kyle shares son Kairo, 14 months, with ex Lauryn Goodman.

The footballer conceived his youngest child Kairo while involved in a short relationship with Lauryn, during a temporary split from Annie in February 2020.

In June 2020, the Mirror reported that Kyle had popped the question to Annie with an epic floral proposal at her home.

Last year, Annie claimed that days before Kyle allegedly met Lauryn, she suffered a miscarriage, and was devastated when she claimed he confessed that the reality star was pregnant.

She told The Sun On Sunday at the time: ‘I don’t know what my thoughts or feelings are any more. I feel dead inside. Each day is filled with pain.

‘I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again because of what he’s done. It makes me really sad that I’ve been damaged so badly when I’ve done nothing to deserve it.

‘I’ve tried to hate him but how can I hate the man my kids love so much? Before the infidelity he was my best friend, my soulmate. I could count on him for anything.’

Kyle also came under fire last year for allegedly hosting a sex party with two escorts while the country remained in Covid-19 lockdown.

It was claimed the footballer and a friend, paid £2,200 for Louise McNamara, 21, and a 24-year-old Brazilian call girl to visit his Cheshire home, before leaving the next day.

Walker, who has 48 England caps, apologised for the incident.

He said: ‘I want to take this opportunity to issue a public apology for the choices I made last week. I understand that my position as a professional footballer brings the responsibility of being a role model.

‘As such, I want to apologise to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down.’

Earlier this year, Lauryn lashed out at Kyle after the England defender unveiled a pair of bespoke football boots bearing the names of each of his children – but not Kairo.

OLIVIA NAYLOR

Girlfriend to John Stones

John Stones’s girlfriend is Olivia Naylor, a 31-year-old beautician. She has established a successful business in Manchester and has her own salon near her Cheshire home.

Her social media describes her as an expert in ‘brows, lash line, lip blush and microblading.’

Olivia took a step back from her work duties after giving birth to her son. Stones has a daughter with his ex, Millie Savage. 

Mother-of-two Olivia first met the Manchester City defender in a nightclub. He is believed to have split with his childhood sweetheart Millie after meeting Olivia.

Olivia joined with the soccer star to help awareness of the plight of a two-year-old boy who is suffering from leukemia.

ANOUSKA SANTOS 

Girlfriend to Luke Shaw

Manchester United’s Luke Shaw and his girlfriend Anouska Santos have welcomed a baby daughter this year, a sister for their son.

She is a fashion blogger with more than 50,000 Instagram followers and has recently posted from Paris, Dubai, Mykonos and Marbella.

Stunning Anouska is often spotted in the crowd at Old Trafford cheering on left-back Luke.

A proud mother, Anouska and Luke welcome their first child together – a son – Reign London, in November 2019.

Announcing her pregnancy, Anouska shared a picture of her scan along with a snap of her Luke. ‘I hope he’s just like you, with a little bit of me,’ she wrote. 

LAUREN FRYER 

Girlfriend to Declan Rice

Declan Rice has dated childhood sweetheart Lauren Fryer, 22, since school days in East London.

She gave birth to their son Jude this summer and he revealed the good news in an inking on his arm while leading West Ham out.

Despite a preference for privacy, the couple let their hair down during a rare public appearance at the Reading Festival in 2021.

They were pictured rubbing shoulders with Liam Gallagher following his headline performance at the annual event.

The footballer joined the famed West Ham Academy as a child and studied at the Robert Clack School, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the largest secondary school in Europe.

When he was crowned Young Player of the Year at the London Football Awards, she wrote on social media: ‘Couldn’t be more proud of my Dec winning young player of the year. You deserve everything and more.’

When Lauren celebrated her 19th birthday, Rice wrote on his Instagram account: ‘Happy 19th birthday to my gorgeous girlfriend Lauren Fryer. Looking forward to making many more memories with you, I love you.’

Lauren isn’t the only love of West Ham defender Declan Rice’s life – she shares his affections with their adorable Cockapoo Raffa.

It’s believed the couple welcomed the cute pup into their home after a romantic trip to Paris.

KATIE GOODLAND

Married to Harry Kane

The England captain is married to Katie and met while at school in Waltham Forest, East London.

The pair got engaged during July 2017, on a holiday in the Bahamas and married in 2019. They have three children, two daughters and a son.

She has 222,000 Instagram followers and regularly shows her support for England and his club Spurs.

However, Katie, who shuns the spotlight, did not make it to Russia to join his parents and is unlikely to travel to Qatar.

SHANNON HORLOCK 

Girlfriend to Nick Pope 

Along with several of the other WAGS, Shannon Horlock keeps an incredibly low profile. She met Burnley keeper Nick Pope in 2013.

On the couple’s three-year anniversary, Shannon posted on Facebook: ‘You make me feel happy, proud and loved every single day.’

Nick and Shannon prefer not to share much of their private life online, but it is thought they had a daughter together in 2019.

GEORGINA IRWIN 

Fiancée to Aaron Ramsdale 

In August 2022, Aaron Ramsdale announced his engagement to his girlfriend Georgina Irwin.

The Arsenal footballer revealed he had popped the question to his girlfriend of three years in a very lavish hotel proposal.

Revealing the news with his followers, Aaron shared a series of loved-up snaps from the moment in a gallery captioned: ‘Forever and always has a nice ring to it.’

The goalkeeper told how the couple got engaged in August as he wrote ‘11.08.22’ alongside the pictures of the romantic moment. 

Aaron proposed to Georgina by erecting a huge lit sign which spelt out ‘marry me?’ and was surrounded by flowers and white balloons.

Georgina is a BA stewardess who also co-owns sportswear brand Gymnetix. Her Instagram page is littered with snaps from her travels and has shared snaps from luxury locations including Dubai, South Africa and the Bahamas.

Georgina shared the same selection of images as her fiance alongside the same caption with her 10,000 followers. 

MILLY ADAMS

Fiancée to Ben White

Ben White and influencer Milly Adams announced their engagement in June 2022, after the footballer popped the question on May 29, during a sun-soaked trip.

In a series of black and white photos shared with Instagram followers, Ben got down on one knee in front of a shocked Milly in the mystery location.

The influencer covered her face in disbelief whilst the England player knelt before her, surrounded by candles and rose petals.

Milly looked sensational as she slipped into a busty cropped top and matching draped skirt with a leggy thigh-high split.

In another photo, the happy couple showed off their adorable tattoos which read ‘I love you’, scrawled across their wrists in each others respective handwriting.

The £50million ace went public with the Instagram model, from Hertfordshire in February, with the pair posting pictures of themselves holding hands on their individual accounts.

Former Brighton defender Ben’s distinctive hand tattoos confirmed his identity, and it is believed the loved-up couple had been in a relationship for several weeks.

A source said at the time: ‘Ben and Milly are totally smitten with each other. They have been dating for a few weeks now, and are enjoying going spending time together in London.

‘It’s the first time Ben has gone public with a girlfriend on his Instagram, he knew their posts wouldn’t go unnoticed because he has such distinctive hand tattoos.

‘Milly is loving being wined and dined by Ben and the fact he was willing to show her off on his profile.’

ANNA MODLER  

Fiancée to Eric Dier

In November 2022, Eric Dier confirmed that he and his partner Anna Modler are engaged after he popped the question.

His model fiancée, 24, took to Instagram on Friday to confirm her engagement to the Tottenham Hotspur’s star, 28.

She revealed the exciting proposal by posting a sweet selfie of herself and Eric in a picturesque park.

In the sweet snap, the happy couple can be seen gleaming as they cuddled up to one another while Anna showed off her dazzling new engagement ring.

Anna captioned the sweet post with ‘I said ja’ and thousands of people were quick to congratulate the soon-to-be newlyweds.

The proposal comes just two months after the loved-up pair were reported to be dating.

According to The Daily Star, the happy couple met through mutual friends and their romance has blossomed since then.

A friend of the pair told The Sun: ‘Eric and Anna are blissfully happy. They have been seeing a lot of each other. Anna is smitten and has told friends Eric could be ‘the one’. They are getting serious, so watch this space.’

The South African beauty has been a regular fan at recent Spurs games, showing her support for Eric and his team, and previously told pals she is smitten and may have found ‘the one’.

Anna also took to social media in September to joke that she was the reason behind Spurs’ unbeaten start to the league season after attending their 6-2 home victory over Leicester. 

ASHLEIGH BEHAN

Girlfriend to Kalvin Phillips

In February 2022, Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips marked his 12th Valentine’s Day with girlfriend Ashleigh Behan.

The stunner is a make-up artist based in Leeds and specialising in prom, bridal and evening make-up as well as ‘special effects’.

When Leeds won promotion to the Premier League, she wrote on social media: ‘The best night celebrating with my CHAMPION!!! What a team.’

The couple, who have two dogs, are clearly devoted; captioning his romantic Valentine’s Day post in 2021, Kalvin wrote: ‘Happy 11th Valentines to my love. Here’s to 11 more! I love you!’

While her business Facebook page is open, Ashleigh appears to be keen to keep her personal life out of the public eye, having made her Instagram account private – despite boasting 13,300 followers.

SASHA ATTWOOD 

Girlfriend to Jack Grealish

Sasha Attwood is the childhood sweetheart of £100million Manchester City star Grealish, 26. 

Model Sasha is said to be about to become a multi-millionaire in her own right after signing a deal with L’Oreal earlier this year, whose slogan is ‘Because you’re worth it’. 

A source in April said: ‘Sasha is beautiful and popular and very much in demand. L’Oreal got in there last month. 

‘She has a big social media following and is inundated with big offers, so they wanted to make sure they had her signed up.

‘She will star on adverts on digital platforms such as TikTok.’ 

Despite Jack having somewhat of a reputation as a playboy, last month Sasha shared a gushing tribute to the footballer as she marked his 27th birthday.

The beauty took to Instagram to upload a montage of loved-up images of the couple throughout their years together.

Captioning her sweet post, Sasha penned: ‘Happy birthday babe. Love you so much’.

Among the images were the couple sharing a kiss as they snapped a selfie in a lift together.

LUCIA LOI 

Fiancée to Marcus Rashford

Marcus and Lucia met at Ashton on Mersey School in Greater Manchester when they were just 15-years-old. 

Lucia has been seen supporting Marcus at football games over the years, including during the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

Lucia, who worked as an account executive for Manchester firm Sugar PR, is thought to have graduated in Advertising and Brand Management with first-class honours last summer.

A LinkedIn page under her name says she attended Manchester University from 2014-2017.  

Marcus popped the question to his significant other Lucia while they were on a romantic trip to Hollywood in May. 

Marcus confirmed the news on Instagram, posting a picture of him and Lucia sharing a smooch while standing in front of a heart made of flowers.  

PAIGE MILIAN

Fiancée to Raheem Sterling 

Beautiful Paige Milian has been unwavering in her support of partner Raheem Sterling despite their love life making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Mother to their sons Thiago and Thai-Cruz, the couple are engaged, proving they’ve put accusations of Sterling’s cheating – including with a high-class call girl – firmly behind them.

As well as a busy life as a mum, Paige is a successful property developer, completing her qualifications in 2018.

The property developer helped her footballing partner snap up an entire road of houses in Stockport in 2019.

KENNEDY ALEXA 

Girlfriend to James Maddison

Leicester City footballer James Maddison and his model girlfriend Kennedy Alexa are believed to have been dating for over two years.

It’s not clear how long the couple have been officially together, but they began posting photographs of each other on social media at the end of 2020.

Last year, the sports star got very friendly with a bevy of beauties in Ibiza, during an afternoon of partying with girls at Blue Marlin beach club, after missing out on being selected for the England Euro 2020 squad.

However weeks later, he and Kennedy welcomed a son named Leo, and new mother Kennedy, 27, shared an adorable photo of the little lad.

Posting a sweet snap of Leo to Instagram on Monday, the newborn could be seen bundled up in a grey blanket while nestled on a bed.

Telling fans she’s ‘never felt a love like it’ and making sure to mention her 24-year-old partner, the brunette beauty captioned her post: ‘Leo Cruz Maddison 7/31/21. never felt a love like it.’ [sic]