Inside Wayne Bridge's life after John Terry scandal with popstar marriage and friends axed
Former Chelsea defender Wayne Bridge has had a colourful life both on and off the pitch since retiring from professional football in 2014.
Wayne Bridge's two former clubs, Chelsea and Brighton, go head-to-head tonight, and the ex-defender will no doubt be watching proceedings with considerable interest. Life since hanging up his boots has taken Bridge on quite the journey, as he continues to carve out a new chapter in the spotlight.
The 45-year-old spent six seasons at Stamford Bridge, forging close bonds with his team-mates, amongst them former England captain John Terry. The pair were even neighbours within a gated community in Surrey while both representing Chelsea on the pitch.
Yet this close friendship was dealt a severe blow when rumours emerged that Terry had conducted an affair with Bridge's then-girlfriend, Vanessa Perroncel.
The couple parted ways in 2009, during Bridge's time at Manchester City, and Terry was subsequently stripped of the national team captaincy by England manager Fabio Capello.
Bridge stepped away from international football to avoid facing Terry, dismissing appeals from senior City squad members who implored him to change his mind. The defender played his final match for England against Brazil in November 2009, though he continued representing clubs until 2014.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bridge accumulated over £7million throughout his sporting career and beyond, funding his current lifestyle alongside pop star Frankie Sandford.
The couple tied the knot in 2014, shortly before Bridge's retirement, and have since welcomed two sons together, Parker and Carter. Since hanging up his boots, the former left-back has carved out a notable public profile beyond football. Bridge featured on the 16th series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, winning over an entirely new legion of fans in the process.
The ex-England international finished fifth on the programme, with Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt ultimately taking the crown.
Sandford, who rose to prominence as a member of pop group The Saturdays, also took part in the show's 21st series, finishing in third place behind eventual winner Danny Miller.
Bridge sought to forge a career in boxing four years after his retirement from football, defeating Spencer Matthews via unanimous decision in an exhibition bout to raise funds for Sport Relief. He subsequently agreed to face KSI in 2025, only to pull out of the fight two days later following the influencer's outburst regarding his ex-girlfriend's alleged affair with Terry.
The former defender stated that KSI "crossed a line" by bringing up the scandal, and he has yet to step back into the boxing ring. Bridge now largely shuns the limelight, preferring to spend his time playing poker with friends.
Speaking to 888poker in 2017, he confessed his playing style was "rash" but not to be taken too seriously. Bridge said: "I usually just play with my mates for the get-together and laugh. As soon as I've had a couple of beers I'm pretty kamikaze."
When asked which former footballers he'd like to sit across the table from, Bridge added: "I'm not sure what his poker face would be like but I'd love to see Craig Bellamy play.
"His talk around the table would be great and he'd get into people's heads. Also just for the pure banter Jimmy Bullard would be entertaining."
