Seen this in today's Daily Mirror and it tickled me pink. Hardcore forum users with access to the Melwood board will also enjoy this one.
Enjoy....
- (Some smiley editing has been added)
I USED TO BE LIKE A DOG ON HEAT.. NOW ALL I WANT IS TO WIN BACK GIRL I LOVE
EXCLUSIVE WHY SOCCER STAR JERMAINE IS A CHANGED MANBy Sarah Tetteh
HE was once a regular fixture in London's glitziest clubs, where he lapped up the booze and the attention of gold-digging women keen to bed a Premiership footballer.
But
Jermaine Pennant's world came crashing down when he was jailed for drink-driving and ditched by his long-term girlfriend.
Now, the Liverpool midfielder has got his career back on track - he scored a wonder goal against Chelsea on Saturday - and he's determined to win back the love of his life, Laura Wallis.
In a candid interview with the Daily Mirror, the 24-year-old, who grew up on one of Britain's toughest council estates, gives a graphic insight into the wild life of a young, minted Premiership star.
"I was always out partying,"
he reveals, "and, because of who I was, the girls flocked to me - they didn't make it hard. Being a footballer, they throw themselves at you and I lapped it up.
"When we were all single, Ashley Cole, Jermaine Jenas and my other friends would pull most nights.
It would be hard to say no if they came in packs.
"But not all the kiss-and-tells are true. Except the five-times-a-night bit and outdoors! I was like a dog on heat but now I've changed my ways."
Pennant, whose parents split up when he was three, grew up on the notorious Meadows estate in Nottingham.
He began his career at Notts County before moving to Arsenal for £2million at 15. It was here that his clubbing went into overdrive. He eventually went to Birmingham in 2005 and last summer he was sold to Liverpool for £6.7million.
These days, the older and wiser star
shuns bars and clubs, preferring to stay home with his puppy Snoop, have a takeaway and play on his Xbox 360
.
As we sink into his chocolate-brown chaise longue, which curls around the perimeter of the living room of his Cheshire pile, Pennant can't help showing off his incredible home.
His latest investment in the £1million, six-bedroom pad is an outdoor hot-tub, which seats six and has a saucy electric-blue light. Outside is a pool, lake and tennis courts, while inside workmen are creating a sunken bath for his master bedroom.
BUT Pennant has no one to share it all with. :'( The one person he wants to be with - ex-girlfriend Laura, who he met when he was 20 - left him after three years because she couldn't put up with stories of his womanising.
He admits the reason he bought the house was to win Laura back but perhaps, I suggest, she just needs to know he's serious.
"I'd like to set the record straight. I did not cheat on Laura,"
he says. "Laura and I weren't dating at the time. I've definitely got it in me to be faithful. I've got a lot out of my system. It happened because I did too much, too young.
"I should have told Laura 'let's split up', so I could do my thing. But I wanted to have my cake and eat it." He shakes his head sadly. "Laura and I had some romantic holidays... We'd talk about going somewhere one minute and the next we were on the plane."
They flew to Mauritius one year - which cost about £6,000 - and when the weather was bad, they went on to Dubai and stayed in a seven-star hotel.
"We went to Nice and we were planning to go to America and Hawaii... If she comes back, we'll do that," he says.
Recalling how he went off the rails, the 5ft 8in star describes a typical night out. "We'd start with a couple of drinks around one of our houses, then go to a restaurant. We didn't care whether the food was posh.
"We'd then go to a bar like Sugar Reef and on to the old Emporium or Titanic. At the clubs, we were treated like royalty. We didn't queue and never had to pay. We'd do shots and play tricks on each other.
"One time we singled out someone else in the group and ignored them the entire night. The first one to break that had to do a forfeit. We had to go around the club on all fours barking like a dog or make chicken noises."
It was the realisation he wasn't above the law that finally made him come to his senses. In March 2005, he was sentenced to three months in jail for drink-driving while banned.
He was released after 30 days and became the first footballer to play wearing an electronic tag.
"Drink-driving is the worst thing I have done and having my freedom taken away was terrible," he explains. "When the judge told me I was going down, the first thing I thought of was my career. Then Laura, my family and the friends I'd let down. When they locked my cell door, it was horrible. I couldn't sleep.
I'd lay awake just thinking about what would happen when I got out. "At the start of every night I'd long for the next day. That was the point I decided to turn my life around."
HIS spirits only lifted during visiting times, when he saw his agent Sky Andrews, pals Ashley Cole and Paolo Vernazza, Birmingham manager Steve Bruce and ex-girlfriend Laura.
Given his record for bad behaviour, he didn't blame people if they kept him at arms' length when he was released. Pals were shocked when he didn't attend best friend Ashley's wedding to Girls Aloud's Cheryl Tweedy last summer.
Although at the time he blamed pre-season training commitments, it seems there was a deeper issue.
"Cheryl wanted to keep Ashley to herself and not have him led astray," he admits. "And I wouldn't blame her. But we've all grown up now. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I went out with Ash now.
"I'm so happy for him. Jenas has settled down, too. We've done a lot of messing around but we're 23, 24 now. We're moving on to next level."
Pennant's current manager, Rafa Benitez, is also delighted that his winger has finally seen the light.
"Rafa knows the bad days are gone," says Jermaine. "When I first joined Liverpool it was in Rafa's mind that I had been a bad boy. But we had a talk about it and squashed it at the beginning. Still, he does prefer it if you have a girlfriend - so you won't be led astray!
"But that won't happen again. Playing for Liverpool - the club I've always supported - is a dream come true."
All he needs now is for ex-love Laura to come back, so he can settle down with her and have children. Like the Beckhams, he believes they, too, can work it out.
"I never believed David cheated on Victoria. But people do make stupid mistakes and get over it," he says.
"I want kids and I've even picked out names. But I certainly won't be calling any of them Jermaine. With Defoe and Jenas, there's too many of us already!"
