I was married to a Premier League footballer - I had money, designer clothes and famous friends... but here's my warning to girls wanting to be a WAG

A woman who was married to a Premier League footballer and is known as the 'UK's first WAG' has issued a warning to women about going down the same route.

Suzi Walker, 53, had a lifestyle most girls would be jealous of - the glamour model was no stranger to expensive holidays, luxury houses, and designer clothing.

She was married to Ian Walker, 52, the former goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur and England, for twelve years - they also had a daughter together called Sophie, who is now 24.

However, Suzi has since spoken out about the dark side of being a WAG, and has opened up about the pair's divorce in 2008 following the footballer's affair in Las Vegas. 

Suzi Walker, 53, had a lifestyle most girls would be jealous of - the glamour model was no stranger to expensive holidays, luxury houses and designer clothing

The ex-WAG told The Sun: 'I’m not saying all footballers are the same, but when Cameron [her daughter] recently said she’d been asked on a date by a young player, I was concerned.

'If she’d said she was meeting a lawyer or a doctor, I’d have felt better. She went anyway, of course. But it got me thinking: if I lived my life again, would I have rather married a doctor? Maybe, yes.'

Reminiscing on her past, she admitted: 'There was a time when all I wanted was the newest watch or bag, but now I realise what’s important. 

'There is nothing better than feeling content and safe in a relationship. 

'I still hold some wonderful memories from my marriage with Ian, but no amount of money could compensate for the years of vulnerability and second-guessing.

'Also, absolutely nothing is worth the pain of being so publicly betrayed.'

The betrayal Suzi is referring to is the moment her 'world collapsed' when she found out her husband had slept with a lap dancer in Las Vegas, prompting the couple to divorce in 2008.

She's now married to businessman  Mark Pitman, after the pair tied the knot in 2018.

Before this, she was in an eight-year relationship with Simon Jordan, the former owner of Crystal Palace, during which the couple had their daughter Cameron. 

Suzi was married to Ian Walker, 52, the former goalkeeper for Tottenham Hotspur and England, for twelve years - they also had a daughter together called Sophie, who is now 24

Suzi has since spoken out about the dark side of being a WAG, and has opened up about the pair's divorce in 2008 following the footballer's affair in Las Vegas 

Reminiscing on her past, she admitted: 'There was a time when all I wanted was the newest watch or bag, but now I realise what’s important'

She described her life as a 'WAG fairytale', with her enjoying the 'finest of everything' while watching her husband compete with England in Euro 96.

Suzi said she and her pals would shop for lavish Gucci and Prada products and would insist on drinking expensive Cristal champagne.

She recalled buying Cartier diamond-encrusted watches, which were worth 'thousands and thousands of pounds'.

But, she also admitted that it was a 'lonely reality' as women were always queing up to take her place, with no shortage of 'female attention' for the footballer.

She added: As the wife of a footballer, you feel you have to keep on top of your game, and that can be exhausting'.

The admission comes just after the former page 3 girl was forced to pawn thousands of pounds worth of jewellery after she ended up £500,000 in debt. 

She pawned and sold 'everything she could' to keep going  and even accepted cash offers that were much lower than the true value of the items.

On top of this, also also had to fork out £60,000 on healthcare after discovering she was suffering from a chronic illness that had been left undiagnosed for years.

It follows a new Amazon Prime documentary Married To The Game that was released in February -  a show that focuses on the lives of footballer's wives.

Sara Gundogan, Cat Harding, Ash Turner, Samantha Tarkowski and Taylor Ward all guide viewers through the trials and tribulations that their lives as members of this elite world offer up.

The show challenges the ingrained conceptions of what it means to be the partner of a footballer - limitless spending, unutterable glamour, wedding courtesy of a fat check from Hello! which were crystallised in the early 2000s - even in the face of evidence to the contrary.