‘it’s not as glamorous as people think it is’

EXCLUSIVE

Her husband James earns millions a year playing for Everton Football Club – but personal trainer Samantha Tarkowski is out to prove that she’s not a typical WAG.

Sam, who married James last summer before jetting off to the Maldives on honeymoon, is one of the stars of Prime Video’s new documentary series, Married To The Game. Alongside Sam, it follows multilingual model Sara Gündogan, who is married to former Manchester City player Ilkay Gündogan, aspiring singer Cat Harding who is dating Arsenal’s Jorginho, ex NFL cheerleader Ash Turner who is married to Nottingham Forest’s Matt Turner, and jewellery designer Taylor Ward, who is married to ex-Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez.

For Sam, she’s signed up to try and smash the WAG stereotype and show viewers that despite their colossal spending power, being a footballer’s wife is not all boutiques and beauty salons.

“People think we’re all stupid and that we’re here for the money and the designer clothes,” reveals Sam. “It couldn’t be further from who I am and who the other women are. It’s just so dated, isn’t it? Maybe there was a time when WAGS were just kitted out in designer gear and were basically with somebody because they’re a footballer… I don’t think it’s like that anymore. It completely baffles me that people are interested because to me, it’s just James’s job and our life is completely normal.”

Now Sam is hoping the show, which will lift the lid on being married to a football player, will “break the stigma and show everyone it’s not as glamorous as people probably think it is.”

Another stigma Sam would like to break is that all football players are love rats who are playing away off the pitch just as often as they are on the pitch.

Sam and James have been together for 12 years and share a daughter, Ivy. But for years, Sam admits that negative stories about footballers cheating put her off taking the spark between them seriously. For James, he was more focused on football and earning the right to wear an England shirt.

“I was quite against being in a relationship at first and I put a bit of a wall up,” reveals Sam. “We only went on dates and nothing ever came of it because I had that perception as well. That’s all you see – the bad. But if you’re going to cheat, you’re going to do it no matter what yo