Sophie Lawlor spoke honestly about her lifer with the Everton defender
Everton defender Jake O'Brien and his girlfriend Sophie Lawlor are both from Cork in Ireland
Everton defender Jake O'Brien and his girlfriend Sophie Lawlor are both from Cork in Ireland
(Image: Sophie Lawlor/Instagram)
Jake O’Brien’s girlfriend Sophie Lawlor has opened up on the struggles she has faced living away from home as she prepares to become a mum for the first time. O’Brien has become a regular starter in Everton’s side since David Moyes returned to the dugout in January.
The Cork-born defender had previously found game time hard to come by under previous boss Sean Dyche. He joined the Toffees last summer from French side Lyon. O’Brien has mainly been used as a full-back since the turn of the year. He started at right-back at Everton’s friendly against Roma on Saturday in what was the first game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in front of a full capacity crowd.
Away from the pitch, O’Brien’s partner is make-up and fashion influencer Sophie, who is also from Cork. The couple have been together for more than four years and have known each other since childhood.
Sophie’s videos about fashion, shopping and beauty advice have garnered more than 1m likes in total on TikTok. In February, she announced she was pregnant with the couple’s first child.
However, in a new interview, Sophie claimed her lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as people may think. Speaking to All About Cork, she said: “People don’t see the boring Monday-to-Friday life. Yes, we’re lucky in many ways.
“We’ve had amazing holidays and great experiences. But day-to-day, I’m walking the dogs, cleaning the house, getting ready for visitors. Because we live away, we have family over nearly every second weekend. It’s lovely, but it can be full-on.
“It sounds glamorous, and sometimes it is, but the day-to-day can be really hard. Jake might only get a day or two off when the baby’s born, then he’s back to training and there’s a match at the weekend. That’s just our reality.”
Sophie added that it was challenging living away from their friends and family in Cork. She said: “This is our fourth season living together, and it’s definitely getting harder.
“My best friend just had a baby, Jake’s niece and nephew are growing up, my goddaughter too. And I’m missing all those little milestones. That’s tough.”
Sophie trained as a makeup artist and has a strong social media presence but feels O’Brien’s career has had to be prioritised. She admitted she feels lonely at times but is hopeful that she can make new friendships after she has a baby.
Sophie said: “I was so excited to move abroad and build our life together. But now that I’m growing up, I’m realising that I might be putting my own career on hold for Jake’s. Still, I’m lucky. I don’t have to work right now and I get to focus fully on the baby.
“Since moving away from Cork four years ago, I haven’t made one proper friendship. Between the language barriers in France and people being at different life stages, it’s been really isolating.
“Most of the women had kids and didn’t really have time for someone new in their 20s. I understand it, but it still stings. Now that we’re expecting a baby, I feel like I’ll be pushed to put myself out there more. ”
Jake’s schedule means he will only be off work for three weeks a year, with the defender even training on holidays. Sophie claimed communication was the most important thing in her relationship.
She said: “It’s everything. When we first moved in together, it was a shock. I think a lot of girls think they want to be with a footballer, but once you’re in it, it’s a lot more intense than people realise.”