Lee Sharpe was one of English football's brightest young talents in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but his life at the top of the game came with its challenges
Lee Sharpe celebrates with the trophy after the 1991 European Cup Winners Cup Final between Manchester United and Barcelona in 1991
Lee Sharpe celebrates with the trophy after in 1991
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lee Sharpe emerged as one of English football's most promising young talents.
Snapped up from Torquay United by Sir Alex Ferguson when he was merely 17, the gifted winger swiftly established himself at Manchester United, becoming a crucial player in the club's revival during the early 1990s.
Recognised for his ability on the field and striking appearance away from it, Sharpe contributed to United's capture of three Premier League crowns, two FA Cups and a League Cup throughout his eight-year spell at trafford>Old Trafford.
However, his time at the summit brought its own difficulties.
Ferguson was renowned for his "hairdryer treatment," and Sharpe frequently bore the brunt of it, reports the Mirror.
In an interview with The Sun, he remembered one savage half-time tongue-lashing following a disappointing display at Anfield: "He gave me the biggest rollicking of my life and told me to sell my house, move my girlfriend back home and get out there and play!".
The footballer heeded that advice saying: "He asked me now and then after that if I had a girlfriend or if I was married, but I always told him I'd got rid of my girlfriend, wasn't getting married and not to ask me again!".
Lee Sharpe
Lee Sharpe was signed by Man Utd at 17
As United climbed to prominence in the freshly established Premier League, Sharpe represented the archetype of the contemporary footballer - gifted, well-compensated and living life to the full. However, injuries and declining form caused his Old Trafford journey to falter, resulting in transfers to Leeds United and Bradford City before he eventually retired from professional football in 2004.
That marked the beginning of Sharpe's surprising post-football chapter.
In 2005, just a year after hanging up his boots, Sharpe became a familiar face once more - this time on television. He joined the lineup of Celebrity Love Island, an earlier iteration of the now-popular ITV dating programme.
During the show, he developed a romance with TV presenter Jayne Middlemiss, who declared to audiences she had "never felt like this about anyone before."
However, their relationship couldn't withstand the spotlight - Sharpe notoriously ended things with Middlemiss for fellow contestant Abi Titmuss before the series ended.
The media attention continued beyond that point. Sharpe and Titmuss' brief romance quickly crumbled amid claims of unfaithfulness.
Lee Sharpe and ex-girlfriend Abi Titmuss
Lee Sharpe and Abi Titmuss
In her autobiography, Titmuss described the devastating moment she allegedly discovered his betrayal: "I feel like I'm being physically torn in half. I have my boyfriend looking me straight in the eye, telling me he loves me and totally denying it. And in my hand I have the front page of a national paper with a woman swearing he had slept with her."
It marked the start of a media frenzy. In the months that followed, Sharpe found himself romantically linked to promotions worker Kathryn Shaw - who revealed she'd met him "on a little bridge near Rochdale" - and ex-Big Brother housemate Lisa Jeynes, who alleged they'd enjoyed a "marathon sex session that went on for hours."
Additional rumoured flings included actress Kym Marsh and singer Michelle Heaton, cementing Sharpe's status as one of football's most notorious playboys.
However, beyond the celebrity gossip columns, Lee Sharpe's world was quietly transforming. In 2011, he met Lucy Gardner, who would become his wife.
Six years on, he popped the question at a Cheltenham Races charity event before over 250 onlookers. "It was absolutely wonderful to witness," said Cathryn Hage from the Pied Piper charity, which organised the occasion.
The pair wed on the Amalfi Coast in 2019 before settling in Spain, where they're now bringing up their trio of youngsters. His Instagram profile states: "Ex‐Manchester United, Leeds United and England Footballer, Golf Fanatic, Husband and Dad," reflecting the family-focused existence he's embraced.
Residing along Spain's coastline has afforded Sharpe the opportunity to distance himself from his scandal-ridden history and embrace a fresh enthusiasm - golf.
"I've always loved golf," he revealed to the Express in 2023. "I started playing when I got to United when I was 17... The idea was that I was going to try and qualify for the British Open as an amateur."
He's now striving to become a professional in Spain: "Over here, it's a bit of a different regime... That's what I'm trying to do at the moment: turn pro in Spain."
Despite establishing a life overseas, Sharpe still cherishes his roots. A recent Instagram post depicted him relishing time back in the UK, captioned: "A fantastic 2‐week trip back to the UK to see friends and family, North and South. There is no place like home, especially when the sun shines."