Inside Steven Gerrard and wife Alex’s stunning Portuguese holiday home as they reflect on wedding
Former England captain Steven and his wife Alex welcomed OK! into their villa to reflect on their luxurious wedding and their plans for more children
To celebrate their first wedding anniversary in 2008, Alex and Steven Gerrard invited OK! into their luxury villa in Portugal.
The couple soaked up the sunshine on loungers, splashed around in their private swimming pool with daughters Lilly-Ella, who was four, and Lexie, who was two, and posed for photographs in their fuchsia pink furnished living room.
At the time, Liverpool midfielder Steven played for England and told OK! the trip to the hideaway, which is near Faro in the Algarve region, was a much-needed break from his busy training schedule.
“As soon as I knew how much time I was going to have off, Alex and I sat down and planned what we were going to do,” Steven, now 40, said. He added it was exactly 12 months since he wed Alex at Cliveden House luxury hotel on the border of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, the same luxurious venue where the Duchess of Sussex stayed the night before her wedding to Prince Harry.
High-profile guests at Alex and Steven’s big day included footballers Peter Crouch, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Redknapp, Ashley Cole and Ashley’s then-wife, Cheryl Cole. “We can’t believe the anniversary has already come round,” Steven said, revealing he had planned something special to do with Alex to celebrate.
Reflecting on the 2007 event, model Alex said she wished she could do it all again because she was so “nervous” on the day. And Steven also admitted he felt “anxious” in the run-up to it, but described the big day as “perfect”.
Talking about their wedding video, Alex, now 38, said Lilly “absolutely loves it” and added, “She watches it from beginning to end.” Steven said, “She went through a phase when she watched it every night.”
During the interview, Steven, who first became captain of England in 2010, spoke about how lovely it was to spend quality time with his daughters. “They get excited when I’m around, which is lovely. Especially Lilly because she’s four now so she understands when I’m going away. It can be the case that I’m in and out of the house every couple of days, staying at hotels and playing away games.”
He then went on to explain that both the girls were “daddy’s girls” and said Alex doesn’t get a look in when he’s at home. Steven added, “Lilly doesn’t want me to go sometimes and it’s difficult for me knowing that I’m leaving her again. But it’s just what I do – it’s got to happen.”
He said during football season, he can be away for three weeks out of the month and described it as “a completely different way of living”. But he said in the summer months, he can relax with the girls and added, “Football is completely out of my mind. It’s all about spending time with the family until the first day back at training comes.”
The couple – who started dating in 2002 after Steven asked Alex out twice (she reportedly refused the first time) – also spoke about plans to have a third child and Steven joked about not being able to live with four girls. When asked if he’s living in fear of women, Steven joked, “Well, sometimes, but only because Alex turned them against me! It can be three against one at times!”
Little did they know they would welcome their third child, daughter Lourdes, three years later in 2011. Then, in 2017, Steven finally fulfilled his wish of not being the only boy in the Gerrard household when Alex gave birth to their fourth child, son Lio George. At the time, he told his fans on Instagram, “Our family is complete.”
Also during the chat in the Portuguese villa, Alex spoke about getting into power walking and running. But Steven playfully mocked her saying she would have to work hard to compete against him in terms of fitness levels. “She would have to get up to a certain level before she could do anything with me!” he laughed.
Alex also talked about writing a style column, Go Shopping With Alex, but said she never thought of herself as a “style icon” and instead sees herself as “a mum”. She later designed the Alex Gerrard collection for Forever Unique and was the model for the 2013 Lipsy VIP range.
And Steven added that he thinks Alex looks great whenever she goes out. “She has great taste and always looks lovely. When it becomes controversial that’s when I’ll pipe up and say something, but most of the time I just leave her to it,” he revealed. He also said he has an eye for fashion and likes to “dress well” but added that he wouldn’t be found wearing anything “too outrageous”.
In 2014, Steven announced his retirement from international football and two years later, he ended his 19-year playing career. “I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career,” he said. “I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy. I fulfilled my childhood dream by pulling on the famous red shirt of Liverpool.”
