‘Be a WAG again? No way!’ Dele Alli’s ex Ruby Mae on why dating a footballer isn’t quite all it’s cracked up to be
BECOMING a WAG is still an aspiration for many young women, which is why there are over 1 billion search results on Google for how to date a footballer.
But someone who has “been there, done that” is Ruby Mae, and she warns those planning to bag themselves the next David Beckham that it’s not always the perfect life it seems.
She should know. The 29-year-old model dated former Tottenham Hotspur favourite Dele Alli, 28, for five years until 2021.
In her first-ever interview, when asked if she would date footballers again, she immediately replies: “No, no! Oh no.”
However, while she may not be keen to revisit the WAG lifestyle, she does look back fondly on her time with the footballing ace.
“I don’t think you should ever be like: ‘I wouldn’t do that,’ because I have done it. There is a negative thing about being called a WAG and I’d prefer not to be called a WAG – I have a name – but at the same time, it is a bit of fun, really.”
It was never Ruby’s intention to date a footballer.
She was building her own career as a model, having worked with Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel, as well as high-street brands like Miss Pap and Pretty Little Thing. When she met Dele, he wasn’t the household name he is today and she didn’t even know he was in the public eye.
Recalling the moment they got together, she says: “We met in London when we were out and then bumped into each other again when I was on a girls’ holiday in Marbella.
“He kept asking me for a drink and I was saying: ‘Oh, all right, I’ll have a drink,’ and then I’d just walk off and disappear.”
The pair next bumped into each other in the UK. “That’s how it started. We clicked and had fun together and a laugh.”
Ruby says things got serious “pretty much after that meeting”, adding: “We spent more and more time together, and then before you know it, we were in a relationship. It was just natural.”
The couple getting together coincided with Dele’s career taking off at Tottenham. After scoring 10 goals in his first season, he was named PFA Young Player of the Year 2016 and was being touted as the future of English football.
Ruby recalls: “He was at Spurs at the time and then he started going up and up. It was amazing. He was doing exactly what he had always wanted to do and was pretty good at it.”
“To be honest, I wasn’t that much of a football person. I’m from Leicester, so I kind of did support Leicester. But, obviously, if your boyfriend plays for Spurs, then you’re going to support Spurs!
“To me, he was just my boyfriend. I didn’t think: ‘Oh my god, my boyfriend the footballer.’ It changed as he got bigger, but we kind of grew together.”
‘CAN’T BE JEALOUS’
Most people assume that dating a footballer is never-ending shopping sprees around Selfridges to pick up designer handbags, but Ruby wasn’t interested in presents.
“It was never a thing where we were buying loads of gifts,” she says. “I didn’t care about things like that. When we were spending time together, it was literally having a laugh. We liked going on holiday, but it was nice to chill and do normal things like watch TV.
“Sometimes he wouldn’t have a day off for a whole month during the season. England international games take players’ time, too. The best time was out of season when we’d go away in a group. We used to get a villa. I’d take my friends, he’d take his, and we’d chill.”
While Dele might not have been buying the designer goods, like most WAGs, Ruby boasts an impressive collection.
“I’ve got loads of shoes,” she admits. “I’ve probably got 100 pairs. They are not all designer – it’s a mix of high street. I love Zara as well as Mugler. With handbags, I go more designer. Chanel is my favourite.”
When the couple were together, things couldn’t have been going better for Dele. By his 21st birthday in 2017, he had amassed more goals and assists than Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes or David Beckham had at the same age.
And the following year when he jetted off with the England team to the World Cup in Russia, he was said to be worth £88million – one of the most valuable players in Gareth Southgate’s squad – with fans pinning their hopes on him finally helping the team bring some silverware home.
love Boohoo as well as Mugler. With handbags, I go more designer. Chanel is my favourite.
Of course, Ruby was on hand to cheer her man on. She’d made her debut at an England match at the 2016 Euros in France, giving him a comforting kiss on the sidelines after The Three Lions were defeated.
She jetted to Russia in 2018, too, where he scored against Sweden in the quarter-finals, helping England reach the semis for the first time in 28 years.
But her experience in Russia was a world away from when the WAG phenomenon exploded at the 2006 World Cup in Baden-Baden with Victoria Beckham and Coleen Rooney capturing the headlines.
“[The WAGs] didn’t really all hang around,” explains Ruby. “When I went to a match, I went with family. Everyone did. We all had different boxes so you didn’t really see these people. The atmosphere was amazing. I feel like we had such a good team – it was our chance of winning. Everyone was absolutely buzzing to be there.”
And Dele’s goal was the icing on the cake for the young couple, whose relationship would carry on for another three years.
Life as the partner of a top sportsperson is not always an easy one – the game comes first, as shown in the recent Beckham documentary. David’s passion to win was evident – as was the fans’ reaction if he didn’t – and it’s often the other half who is left to pick up the pieces.
Ruby says: “I’ve seen parts of that show. Do I see some similarities? Yeah, but it’s a different level to Victoria Beckham. There’s a lot of pressure for them. People are quick to turn on different things, aren’t they? So if they do well, it’s like: ‘Woo!’ but if they do one thing wrong, they’re like: ‘Boo.’ It’s tough.”
However, while they may not have been the Beckhams – with their every movement scrutinised – Ruby did find life with a footballer hard.
After the success of the 2018 World Cup, Dele’s career hit a downturn. He picked up injuries, which continue to hamper his form.
Off the pitch, he was getting into trouble, too, gaining a reputation for arguments, including uploading a racist video on Snapchat about an Asian man in February 2020, which led to a £50,000 fine and a one-match ban.
A month later the world and, of course, football, came to a halt – something that Ruby enjoyed as the couple got to spend more time together.
EVERY MOVE SCRUTINISED
When lockdown lifted, Dele continued to struggle, which took a toll on their relationship, and Ruby decided to end things in February 2021.
Last year, Dele, who moved to Everton in 2022 but has been beset with injuries ever since, revealed he was sexually abused aged six and began dealing drugs when he was eight.
Speaking to Gary Neville on his podcast The Overlap, he admitted that as an adult he became addicted to sleeping tablets and drinking to “escape from the reality” of his difficult upbringing before he was adopted by the Hickford family.
He considered retiring at 24, and said that he had spent six weeks at a facility in America to help with his mental health.
Meanwhile, reflecting on her life since the split, Ruby says she’s more focused on herself and on developing branding deals, as well as growing her Instagram – she has almost 100k followers – and caring for dog Seven.
“I’m taking a step back and actually enjoying myself and enjoying life, rather than just working all the time.”
In the make-up chair with Ruby
Do you have any skincare heroes?
Dermalogica cleanser, Laura Mercier Rose Oil, and Kiehl’s moisturiser.
What are your make-up bag essentials?
Hourglass lipgloss, Tarte concealer, Mac lipliner, and Benefit products for my brows.
Any beauty bargains?
Barry M Lip Liner in Chocolate – it’s £2.60!
Favourite luxury product?
La Mer Translucent Powder.
Best beauty hack?
Moisturise well before you apply your foundation, as it really helps you achieve a fresh, dewy glow.
Who’s your celeb beauty icon?
Hailey Bieber. She always looks so classy.