Yet again, footballers have proven their eye for the ladies with certain indiscretions reported in the media. Let’s face it, it’s not really anything new. And for those people who think John Terry has a real problem when it comes to controlling himself around the ladies, compared to some of the people on our list of the top 10 footballing players, he’s one of the nice guys.
From Andy Gray and Lee Sharpe on these shores to international stars such as Ruud Gullit, Romario and Diego Maradona, the footballing player has always been around. With the fame and the cash in the Premier League these days, it’s no surprise that women flock to these modern-day superstars. However, as our list proves, there’s a long history of the beautiful game’s finest getting their wicked way with the fairer sex.
No.1 – Garrincha
What was his game?
Brazil’s greatest ever wingman who took on all comers.
Garrincha was once named Brazil’s second-best player of all time after Pele, and had he been young enough to be part of the 1970 Brazil side and not played before the “marriage of football and television,” may have become known as the best.
His reputation off the pitch though certainly stands the test of time, as he slept with hundreds of women, sired at least 14 children all coming after he lost his virginity to a goat. His most famous relationship was with singer Elza Soares (whilst married), but that was just one among many.
No.2 – George Best
What was his game?
A seasoned international with relentless pace.
“I used to go missing a lot: Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom and Miss World.” So opened many a George Best speech on the after-dinner circuit.
As the first “celebrity” footballer, Best’s reputation with women was almost as legendary as his love of alcohol. As Best summarised: “If I’d been born ugly, you’d never have heard of Pele.” The Irishman was rumoured to have slept with seven Miss Worlds, but once insisted it was only four because he failed to turn up for the other three, while another legend tells of him bedding seven women in one 24-hour session in Manchester.
No.3 – Frank Worthington
What was his game?
A player appreciated by different generations.
Frank Worthington is proud to admit that while George Best took all the headlines for his womanising ways, he too had his fair share. Worthington’s sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle was laid bare in his autobiography One Hump or Two, in which he describes seducing a Swedish teenager and her mother, later described as “great days.”
Worthington’s nocturnal activities reportedly scuppered a big move to Liverpool back in 1972, when he failed a medical — rumours suggested that it was down to a dose of the clap, but supposedly it was high blood pressure resulting from excessive sexual activity.
No.4 – Frank McAvennie
What was his game?
A leading expert in scoring.
“Sex was my pre-match training,” so says Frank McAvennie in his book Scoring: An Expert’s Guide. The former Celtic and West Ham striker was a legendary figure on the party scene throughout his football career, partying with footballers and celebrities alike.
The Scot, who claimed he was making up for his failure with women as a youngster because he was “so ugly,” once estimated that he’d bedded 500 women, before adding that due to his poor head for numbers it was probably more like 1,000.
No.5 – Antonio Cassano
What was his game?
A consistent performer.
Antonio Cassano’s recent autobiography certainly left readers without a doubt as to his appetite for women. He firstly covers those relationships that have mattered to him, noting that four girlfriends in 11 years is not many, before describing how he made up for that with a few flings here or there.
By his calculations those “few flings” entailed 600-700 women, with 20 or so from the entertainment world. Cassano goes on to tackle the question of sex or no sex before a big match, describing how most of his best performances, on the pitch, came following an early morning workout.
No.6 – Lee Hendrie
What was his game?
An elusive attacker.
England one-cap wonder, Lee Hendrie, became the epitome of a tabloid “love rat,” after his ex-wife told the papers that he’d shacked up with his teenage mistress shortly after their wedding. Back in 2004, The Sun reported that Hendrie and his wife had cancelled their £12,000 honeymoon, and she’d scratched less than friendly names into the side of his Porsche. Becky Hendrie claimed: “I know of at least 50 women he’s been unfaithful with behind my back.”
Hendrie was once linked with Jade Goody, and whilst still a Villa player was said to be seeing then-Birmingham boss Steve Bruce’s daughter — although he can be seen denying this to a fan on this YouTube clip.
No.7 – Dwight Yorke
What was his game?
He recorded his own match-day highlights.
Dwight Yorke certainly wasn’t the first Manchester United player to incur the wrath of Sir Alex Ferguson for his nighttime activities (Lee Sharpe can no doubt sympathise), but because of his on-off relationship with Jordan he hit the headlines more than most. Yorke’s most infamous episode, however, perhaps indicated his love of teamwork as he and one-time United keeper Mark Bosnich secretly filmed themselves, dressed in women’s clothes, romping with four women.
The tape was reportedly leaked after Yorke left it out with his rubbish, and United fans composed a chant that labelled him the “King of Pornography.”
No.8 – Gabriel Agbonlahor
What was his game?
Speedy striker who scored hat tricks on and off the pitch.
The Villa striker’s reported eye for the ladies was exposed in the News of the World early in the 2008/’09 season, as the tabloid revealed that Agbonlahor got three women pregnant all in the same period of time. Hot on the heels of a quick-fire, seven-minute, hat trick on the pitch for club-side Aston Villa against Manchester City, the paper exposed his hat trick off the pitch (you see what they did there!). Not the sort of behaviour likely to impress Fabio Capello.
No.9 – Andy Goram
What was his game?
A keeper with phenomenal handling skills.
The former Scotland and Rangers goalkeeper reportedly suffered from a mild form of schizophrenia and was often greeted by football fans with chants of “there’s only two Andy Gorams.” Indeed, there might have been. Not only was Goram the snarling, unbeatable wall for Rangers in his heyday, but was obviously capable with his hands off the pitch too.
He was already engaged when he got a different girlfriend pregnant, before having an affair with a 17-year-old model and a retired porn actress. His most legendary conquest was Louis Montgomery, known as Olga Orbs on account of her 38D figure.
No.10 – Vagner Love
What was his game?
An aptly named Brazilian striker who performed brilliantly in front of the cameras.
Brazilian striker Vagner Love is perhaps the most aptly named of our list. The former CSKA Moscow striker’s most famous conquest was porn “actress” Pamela Butt — a liaison brought to the public’s attention when a video of the two was leaked on the internet. Butt was annoyed, saying: “I’m very well paid to have sex on camera, but I earned nothing for this. I am two people… and today the private lady is defiled.” Love, however, seemed slightly less concerned: “Hey, I’m known for being amorous; let’s be honest, this reputation isn’t one that unsettles me.”
