A Premier League legend was embroiled in an alleged love triangle with a Web page 3 woman turned Playboy mannequin, who beforehand had a fling with Prince Harry

A former Web page 3 woman who had a nightclub fling with Prince Harry discovered herself in an alleged love triangle with a Premier League icon.

Chelsea icon Michael Essien, who turned 42 final week, had a glittering profession at Stamford Bridge, signing for a then membership report £24m charge underneath legendary supervisor Jose Mourinho in the summertime of 2005 and happening to win the Premier League in his debut season.

The Ghana hero would raise the title once more in 2010, together with the Champions League in 2012, plus three FA Cups and a League Cup, earlier than reuniting with Mourinho at Actual Madrid. However away from the pitch, he additionally made loads of headlines for his dalliance with Cassie Sumner, who had beforehand grabbed the British media highlight over a royal fling.

The brunette, from West Sussex, was a Web page 3 mannequin and lads magazine favorite named one among Britain’s Hottest 100 Women by FHM journal.

Her appearances within the likes of Loaded, Zoo and Nuts have been adopted by naughtier stints for Playboy and Penthouse, whereas she additionally starred within the ITV actuality present WAGs Boutique.

But it was her claims about Prince Harry and a nightclub encounter that actually set tongues wagging, as she reportedly partied with the then 19-year-old at London’s Chinawhite nightclub alongside fellow Web page 3 woman Lauren Pope.

Again in 2004, the Sunday Folks reported the teenage royal was allegedly noticed kissing and cuddling with the pair as they partied on the venue.

The report claimed that “moments after snogging Web page 3 woman Lauren Pope, he was knocking again highly effective Intercourse On The Seashore cocktails with busty Cassie Sumner”.

Sumner additionally opened up on the expertise, with Prince Harry reportedly inviting them to his personal desk contained in the membership. She revealed the younger prince nuzzled her earlobes and ran her fingers by his hair.

He additionally invited her to proceed partying elsewhere, claimed Sumner on the time. “He was undressing me together with his eyes,” she defined.

“I knew he’d been snogging Lauren earlier within the night time however after she left he simply homed in on me. He appeared fascinated with my breasts, as a result of he spent extra time them than he did my face after we talked.”

She instructed The Mirror: “He made eye contact as I stood on the bar with buddies and he invited me to affix his personal desk. Lauren had left so I assumed, ‘what the hell’.

“I plonked myself down subsequent to him and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he started cuddling as much as me. If I am sincere I did not actually fancy Harry.

“I desire extra muscle groups on a person. However he got here throughout as a beautiful lad who was simply having fun with a traditional night time out like every red-blooded single 19-year-old.”

Cassie subsequently launched into a romance with Essien, which received off to a stormy begin. The midfielder’s former girlfriend, one other glamour mannequin, Lurata Murati, claimed Essien cheated on her with Cassie throughout their very own seven-month relationship.

Lurata stormed: “He is a mendacity, dishonest b******. He thinks as a result of he’s this huge soccer hero he can deal with ladies with contempt.

“Once I requested him about this woman he simply stored saying ‘It is garbage, it is garbage’ whereas laughing down the cellphone as if it was no huge deal.

“I can not imagine I have been sleeping with this man who was joyful to see such a trollop. Now I simply need to put Michael Essien out of my life.”

Blonde Lurata, a 6ft private coach, stated Essien had wooed her with champagne in nightclubs and gone wild for her 34E boobs and corsets throughout romps at her flat, however by no means invited her again to his Surrey mansion.

Lurata, who stated she first met Essien at a fancy Knightsbridge restaurant and shared sizzling texts between them with the press, stated they broke issues off when she confronted him over Cassie.

The Mirror reported he had been seeing Cassie, lavishing presents on her together with a flashy BMW, and he or she “nearly moved into his Surrey house” – the mansion Lurata stated she was by no means invited to.

Lurata stated she was glad to have came upon about his different girl, who Essien had supposedly already been courting for months, “in any other case he would have been stringing me alongside for ages”.

The Mirror reported that when their reporter tried to query Essien about Lurata and Cassie, he replied “What are you speaking about? No. Sorry,” earlier than placing the cellphone down.

Cassie in the meantime, who as soon as dated comic and actor Russell Model, later gave a scathing evaluation of what she stated was 17 months seeing Essien, saying intercourse with him “wasn’t unbelievable”.

In her e-book ‘Cassie Sumner: Loving it’, she instructed how Essien “broke her coronary heart” and ended their relationship after the footballer denied they’d even been a pair.

She stated: “It is ludicrous. He welcomed me into his life and his mattress.”

And she or he instructed OK! journal: “I swore to God after Michael that I’d by no means date one other footballer. It took me two and a half years earlier than I dated one once more.”

Nonetheless, that vow did not final lengthy, as she is now fortunately married to former Southampton star Jose Fonte, after assembly the defender in 2009 when he was enjoying for Crystal Palace and happening to have two youngsters with him.

Cassie stated: “I did not know José was a footballer after we met in a neighborhood bar. However José is totally different from different footballers I’ve met – he is really a pleasant man!”

She was even noticed on the pitch with Fonte and the Henri Delaunay trophy when Portugal triumphed in Euro 2016.

After leaving Southampton, the place he received back-to-back promotions to the Premier League, Fonte additionally performed for West Ham, earlier than captaining Lille as they pipped Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title in 2021. He now captains Primeira Liga membership Casa Pia, residing in Portugal with Cassie and their household.

Essien in the meantime had a brief spell at AC Milan after his time in Spain, earlier than an injury-laden time with Greek facet Panathinaikos forward of strikes to Indonesian membership Persib Bandung and Sabail FK of the Azerbaijan Premier League.

He’s now a coach for Danish Superliga membership Nordsjaelland.

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