Gerrard's huge net worth and daughter's relationship with Kinahan mobster's son
The most coveted trophy in European club football was on the line over the weekend as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Inter Milan in the Champions League final in Munich.
PSG ran out 5-0 winners in Saturday's decider to become only the second French side to win the trophy after Marseille in 1993.
A global audience of millions tuned in to witness the highly anticipated showdown, with TNT Sports providing the UK broadcast.
Laura Woods led the coverage, supported by an impressive panel of pundits including Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Karen Carney and Owen Hargreaves.
Gerrard, naturally, is no stranger to Champions League glory, having hoisted the trophy as Liverpool's captain following their extraordinary comeback victory over AC Milan in the 2005 Istanbul final, reports Wales Online.
An Anfield icon, the former midfielder retired in 2016, drawing the curtain on a career that saw him clinch numerous individual accolades, two FA Cups, three League Cups, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Super Cup.
Since hanging up his boots, Gerrard has transitioned into management, helming Rangers, Aston Villa and Saudi Arabian team Al-Ettifaq. However, he parted ways with the Saudi Pro League side in January.
Here's a glimpse into the life of the Liverpool legend away from the pitch:
Following a profitable playing career, Gerrard boasts an impressive estimated net worth of around £75 million, as per 888Sports.
It's believed that he raked in approximately £22.5 million over his career, which spanned 17 years at Liverpool before he hung up his boots at MLS side LA Galaxy.
The 45 year old has also pocketed a tidy sum in management, reportedly earning a whopping £15.2 million-a-year salary while managing Al-Ettifaq.
This salary placed Gerrard as the fourth-highest paid manager globally at the time, with only Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone out-earning him.
His substantial net worth has been further bolstered by various sponsorship deals throughout his career, endorsing brands such as Adidas, Jaguar and Lucozade.
This month, Gerrard marks 18 years of wedded bliss with his wife Alex Curran, having said their vows in a lavish Buckinghamshire ceremony in June 2007.
Interestingly, the pair - who began dating in 2002 - tied the knot on the same day as his England teammates Gary Neville and Michael Carrick.
Formerly a nail technician, Curran later transitioned into modelling and worked as a fashion columnist for the Daily Mirror and OK! Magazine.
Together, the couple have four children - Lilly-Ella, Lexie, Lourdes and Lio.
During Gerrard's stint with Al-Ettifaq, Curran and the kids opted for the glitz of Bahrain over Saudi Arabia, living it up in a swanky villa.
While helming Rangers, the ex-Liverpool star confessed his missus would have him chuck in football management "tomorrow" to ease the strain on their home life.
He poured his heart out on the High Performance Podcast: "There are times when it dominates your life and you can't control that. That's what it is.
"But there will be a stage in my life where I have to give it up, for the sake of my family and for myself. To cut it, and live life with a bit of peace. There's got to be a stage of your life where you have calm and peace, but at the moment I don't feel ready for it.
"I do still feel full of energy. I do think I can help players. I do see opportunities to have more highs, and buzzes, and adrenaline rushes.
"For Alex and the kids, at some stage, I'm going to have to give me self to them, 100%. When that will be, who knows? Alex would take it tomorrow. She'd take it tomorrow."
Gerrard went on to add: "Alex is the one who brings me down, when I've come in, and think I'm fantastic. If I've scored a goal, or we've won a game, she pipes me down.
"And when you're on the floor, and you're staring at the wall, she's the one who helps pick you up."
In January, Gerrard's eldest daughter Lilly-Ella revealed that she is expecting her first child with boyfriend Lee Byrne.
The 20-year-old took to her social media with a snap of her positive pregnancy test, captioning the image: "Our little secret.
"The best news," she continued. "Mini us is on the way."
Her partner Lee is the son of notorious Dublin criminal Liam Byrne, who was sentenced to five years in prison for weapons charges in October 2024.
Meanwhile, Lee's grandfather, James 'Jaws' Byrne, who died last year at the age of 77, was a career criminal.
Nevertheless, according to LBC, Gerrard doesn't treat Lee any differently than he would anyone else and expressed his excitement at the prospect of becoming a grandad at just 45.
Reacting to Lilly-Ella's big reveal, he said: "We can't wait, great news and congratulations - we love you."
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Dublin Live
23 minutes ago
- Dublin Live
Footage shows assassin chase and kill man inside Irish pub in Spain
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info This is the dramatic moment Ross Monaghan's killer chases him round his Costa del Sol pub and shoots him dead after assassinating the Scottish gangster's pal Eddie Lyons Jnr outside seconds earlier. The graphic footage, broadcast on Spanish TV today, showed the gunman dressed in black honing in on Monaghan as he stumbles and drops helpless to his knees in front of him. Two innocent bystanders thought to include a waitress and another man in black whose identity is not known can be seen running for their lives before the hitman calmly pumps at least four bullets into the Glaswegian hood's chest and belly from close range. The stomach-churning footage was broadcast this morning on popular Telecinco programme El Programa de Ana Rosa. It showed Monaghan, 43, believed to be the owner of Monaghan's Fuengirola where Saturday night's shooting occurred just after the end of the Champions League final, appearing to turn round and look into his killer's eyes after being forced to crawl on all fours to try to get away following his fall before realising he has no escape. After being shot he sits upright against a wall, motionless and blood seeping out from his stomach wounds onto his white T-shirt as his life ebbs away. The assassin, who is rumoured to be Scottish but has yet to be arrested, appeared to be wearing a black baseball cap, a black jacket and black shorts and a white T-shirt round his neck he is thought to have used to hide his face before striking. Local reports today said Monaghan got the chance to try to escape after Lyons Jnr was killed instantly outside because the gunman's weapon jammed. The only images to emerge from Saturday's double shooting before the footage from the inside of the bar were pictures and video of Lyons Jnr lying dead on his back in shorts and a T-shirt on the terrace outside - before and after he was covered up by a blanket. (Image: SOLARPIX) Spanish police confirmed this morning they had yet to make any arrests, with a spokesman saying: "The investigation is continuing into the fatal shooting of two men at a pub in Fuengirola, with nothing new at the moment." Refuting claims yesterday by a government representative for the Malaga area that a third person had been hurt and was in hospital, the police spokesman said: "There is no record of another person or people being injured." Respected Malaga-based newspaper Sur reported today the wife of one of the two victims had witnessed the horror attack around 11.30pm on Saturday, but did not say which man's partner it was. The gunman fled on foot before rejoining an accomplice in a car who had driven him to the murder scene. Police have retraced part of their escape route to the old N-340 dual carriageway heading towards Benalmadena. Details about the make and colour of the getaway vehicle have not yet been released. Officers from an elite Spanish National Police Costa del Sol-based Anti-Drug and Organised Crime Unit UDYCO are heading the ongoing probe, although they are reporting to a local investigating judge coordinating the operation. Court officials are expected to confirm later today a secrecy order has been placed on the investigation, preventing public officials from making any detailed public comment. Such orders, called a 'secreto de sumario' in Spanish, are often placed on criminal probes especially in their infancy to protect investigations by limiting the number of people who have access to sensitive information. Some local reports point to witnesses identifying the shooter as a "blond man" and investigators working on the theory British nationals are behind the gangland killing, but detectives have not commented. The National Police has confirmed two men were killed but declined to name them, saying in the force's only official statement so far: "Around midnight on Saturday an incident with firearms occurred in Fuengirola, specifically at an entertainment venue along the seafront. Two males died as a result from gunshot wounds. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made so far." A British woman answered the phone at the Irish bar, said to be owned by Ross Monaghan, yesterday morning but said she had been told by the police not to make any comment. Career criminal Monaghan, who fled Scotland for Spain after a failed attempt on his life outside a Glasgow primary school in 2017, was tried but acquitted over the murder of notorious Glasgow hood Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll at an Asda car park in 2010. In August 2017 he and Eddie Lyons Jr, both members of the Lyons Glasgow crime family, were cleared of being involved in a brutal street attack on three men outside the Campsie bar in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire. The shooting in Spain comes amid a violent gang war that has ripped through Scotland since March said to have started over a fallout over drugs. Saturday night's gun murders follow the fatal shooting nearly six weeks ago of a 32-year-old British man in nearby Calahonda a 15-minute drive from the Irish bar towards Marbella. He was shot dead around 8pm on April 21 in a professional hit as he headed back to his car after finishing a football match with friends. The killers fled in a getaway car that was later torched. Police are investigating the brutal assassination as a drug-related gang shooting but have yet to make any arrests. The victim has not been named but was known to come from Liverpool. Reports at the time described the incident as the fourth shooting so far that month on the Costa del Sol, where rival gangs have increasingly used extreme violence to settle scores and a number of international mafias are known to have a base. Four days before the Calahonda shooting a 34-year-old man was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella after being shot outside a nightclub in the famous Costa del Sol resort. Monaghans Fuengirola describes itself online as a place "where you can relax and spend the day enjoying great home cooked meals on a sunny terrace and watch live sporting events." It also bills itself as a "family friendly sports bar and restaurant located in Torreblanca, Fuengirola opposite one of the area's most popular beaches." Torreblanca is to the east of Fuengirola town centre and a stone's throw from an area called Los Boliches. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Ireland is Israel's second biggest trading partner - we need to look at why
Last weekend, Al Jazeera reported a list of Israel's largest trading partners. Most members of the top 10 were not surprising. In 2024, the USA was by far the most significant, alongside prominent allies the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. China features in third place. However, Israel's second most significant trading partner shocked many observers: its most 'vocal' European critic, Ireland. From the perspective of those of us who have been advocating for a comprehensive boycott of Israel against its apartheid, occupation, and genocide of Palestinians, this is a bewildering and disappointing statistic. What are we trading with Israel? Israel's exports to Ireland have exploded since 2021. In 2020, exports to Ireland totalled just €198 million. In 2021, this figure skyrocketed to €1.44 billion, growing year on year to €3.26 billion in 2024. What's behind these numbers, and how do they help explain the Government's inaction on the genocide in Gaza - from their unwillingness to fully enact the Occupied Territories Bill (OTB), to stop the sale of Israeli war bonds through the Central Bank, or to close Shannon Airport to the US army? Since the Celtic Tiger, Ireland's economic growth is explained through our tax-friendly facilitation of multinational companies, particularly finance, tech, and pharmaceutical sectors. What has been less interrogated is the extent to which Ireland's dependence on a handful of these US-based companies (with close ties to Israel) influences Ireland's internal and external policy, including on Gaza. The recent figures on exports to Ireland from Israel represent an astonishing growth in trade. In a country so well-known for creative finance and tax arrangements, it might seem reasonable to assume the jump is due to services. But according to financial reporting, the €3.26bn is in goods - not services. The question, though, shouldn't be what are 'we' buying, but which companies are buying? Of the €3.26bn in exported goods, €3.02bn is 'electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies,' mostly used in tech and pharmaceutical manufacturing. All other goods total around €230m, similar to 2020. Who is buying these Israeli goods, and why? One answer may lie in Leixlip, and multinational computer chip manufacturer Intel's Ireland plant. The HSN code for electronic integrated circuits is 8542. When you search that on economic databases, by far the largest exporter of these products from Israel is Intel. Like other multinationals, transfers between national subsidiaries is extremely common, as components are transferred between facilities for fabrication. Leixlip's sister factory is located in Kiryat Gat, Israel, only a few kilometres north of Gaza, with well-reported projects and personnel collaboration between facilities. The Intel plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare. Leixlip's sister factory is located in Kiryat Gat, Israel, only a few kilometres north of Gaza. Whether the plant in Leixlip is relying on components from its Israeli counterpart, or using Ireland to transfer goods internally to take advantage of Irish tax benefits - or maybe both - there is little doubt that a huge chunk of this statistic is coming from the activities of Intel and similar companies. The point is that this trade is about an economic relationship more so than about specific goods or services consumed or performed in Ireland. Intel's global headquarters remain in California, where most of these profits continue to accumulate, even if its global finances and fabrication supply chains are filtered through Ireland as one stopping point between Israel and the US. Dependency Intel has been a boycott target, but its entrenchment in the Irish political economy goes much deeper than anything we can meaningfully stop buying. Beyond specific numbers, this is worth historicising: Intel is remembered as the 'whale' that the IDA finally landed in 1989, after 30 years of foreign direct investment (FDI)-led industrialisation policy. By the end of the century, Ireland was the world's second largest exporter of software behind the US, with software products accounting for 12% of the country's exports. Seán Lemass and TK Whitaker's late-1950s economic pivot is usually heralded as the origin of Irish modernisation and prosperity, but Intel bore the fruit of its success. Sociologist Denis O'Hearn has shown, however, that this founding myth of modern Ireland often elides the decisive role of the US in shaping post-War Government policy. The US wanted Ireland to end protectionism and open itself to free trade, particularly with more economically-protected Europe. This meant favourable conditions for US companies, including grants for factories, machinery, low-cost electricity, and tax relief on profits. Why did the US have such a say in Irish economic policy? As elsewhere, it was through economic instruments such as trade and debt, as well as more overt forms of political and military intervention. This was what dependency theorists in Latin America and Africa were coming to understand throughout the 1960s. While countries across the Third World gained formal independence, they found themselves subject to new forms of economic dependence at the hands of the US and former European colonial powers. As Brazilian economist Theotonio Dos Santos explained in 1970: "[b]y dependence we mean a situation in which the economy of certain countries is conditioned by the development and expansion of another economy to which the former is subjected." As the US took on a greater role in shaping Ireland's economic policy, it also influenced our foreign policy. In 1957, Frank Aiken, Minister for Foreign Affairs, came under criticism for positions he took up on behalf at the UN General Assembly. Embodying an active policy of neutrality, Aiken sought to stand above imperialist blocs and alliances. But this was in stark contrast with a new economic policy to woo US industry and investment. "Does this entice anybody or make them more amenable to come to us and help us here if we take up that attitude, when we act in an independent and, I may say, irresponsible fashion?" questioned one Fine Gael TD in the Dáil. The resonances with today are undeniable. So what? A few things in the past week highlight how Ireland's ongoing dependency is shaping the State's inaction on Gaza. First, the OTB was finally tabled by the Government, excluding services. Second, an action to the Dáil to stop Israeli war bonds being sold through the Central Bank was blocked by a majority 87 Government and independent TDs. Third, the Taoiseach publicly referred to Israel's actions in Gaza as a 'genocide,' placing the blame on the shoulders of Netanyahu's right-wing Government. These three events solidify the gap between rhetoric and action that protects Ireland's economic complicity. For all the performative statements by Government officials and TDs, meaningful sanctions on the Israeli economy would jeopardise Ireland's economic position. Palestinians inspect the damage at a UN school used as a shelter by displaced residents that was hit by Israeli military strikes, killing more than 15 people, in Jabaliya, northern Gaza Strip, last month. Photo: AP/Jehad Alshrafi This is a result of dependency. Ireland's complicity in these systems is about facilitating economic relationships between companies and financial institutions rather than anything the majority of Irish people actually buy or materially benefit from. As the Financial Times reports, the exclusion of services from the OTB by the Government is not to protect trade necessarily. Ireland's trade with the Occupied Territories is negligible, with goods amounting to only a few hundred thousand euro in the past five years. By excluding services, though, the Government has shielded companies with EMEA headquarters in Ireland from being subject to Irish law for their operations in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights - like Airbnb, or insurance brokers, who advertise lets and services in these illegal settlements. Thus, it is revealing that the Government has refused to leverage its strongest position: its role as a platform for multinationals between the US and Europe. The removal of services isn't about specific trade flows or company profits, but it surfaces contradictions about Ireland's role in the capitalist world system. It also highlights the increasing misalignment between Government action and popular sentiment: 61% of Irish people support full sanctions on the Occupied Territories. 'Consequences' Even worse, it illustrates the State's embedded complicity in imperialist war economies. In November 2024, a report from The Ditch revealed that the US ambassador to Ireland, Claire Cronin, had written directly to the Tánaiste warning of "consequences" if Ireland enacted the OTB. In her email, the Ambassador cited more than 1,000 US companies located in Ireland that would be adversely affected by the passing of the OTB. This is a clear example of the US using its economic dominance over Ireland to advance its own foreign policy goals, and raises the questions: who makes decisions, and who determines Ireland's foreign and trade policy? We have to acknowledge that the lack of action by this Government is about the State's longer-term foreign and trade policy. Remember, top civil servants informed ministers that the OTB would be an act of 'economic terrorism.' Of course we need to hold Government politicians to account and advocate boycotts and sanctions where we can. But if a different Government was in power tomorrow, without changing the model of economic development, would they be able to do anything materially different? The Government's words of solidarity and condemnation, let alone paltry action, mean less than nothing when it is entrenched State policy to allow multinational companies to launder profits reaped from genocide and apartheid. Without confronting this core facet of Irish State development policy, the treadmill of Government inaction will continue apace. What is to be done? Justifiably, people might feel bewildered and disempowered. It's about the entire Irish economic model, and not specifically boycottable targets; and at the same time, the Government acts at the behest of economic powers, rather than the people of Ireland. What can we do? Dependency theory offers a starting point, and one that has been marginalised in mainstream Irish politics and economic thinking. If we are serious about taking more action on Gaza, we have to understand that the genocide has brought to the surface the contradictions of Ireland's position in the world and amongst sabre rattling empires. Given Ireland's deep involvement in US-Israeli trade, industry, and finance, we are strategically placed to make a difference. The most tactical pressure points remain US warplanes going through Shannon, the sale of Israeli war bonds, the OTB, and the EU's economic relationships with Israel. Each of these surface Ireland's long-standing dependency on the US and positioning between the EU. Shifting this dynamic will require enormous, concerted and focussed pressure. Understanding Ireland's dependency as a defining feature of Irish economic development also allows us to see how the State's undemocratic actions to support global extractive industries, erode our neutrality, and fail on Palestine are part of the same political economic matrix. These three fronts will converge at the national demo for peace and neutrality taking place in Dublin on June 14. This is an opportunity to show the Government that we want serious, meaningful action to untangle Ireland from its complicity in imperialist economic rivalries, wars, and genocides. Read More Aid is being utterly weaponised, and the result is chaos
The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
'We've got to believe that we can beat anyone' - Ireland learn potential play-off opponents
IRELAND FACE INTO the Uefa Women's Nations League promotion/relegation play-offs after finishing second in Group B2. Carla Ward's side were chasing top spot, but didn't achieve the four-goal win needed to usurp Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh this evening. They won 1-0 thanks to Saoirse Noonan's first-half goal. While Slovenia secured safe passage to League A, Ireland have another shot at promotion in the play-offs in October. Their opponents — a third-placed League A outfit — will be confirmed in a Friday's draw in Nyon [12pm Irish time]. One of Austria (18th in the world rankings), Iceland (13th), Belgium (20th) and Denmark (12th) will await in a two-legged tie. 'I think that whoever we get out of those, they're top nations,' said Ward. 'But, look, we're building, we're evolving. Advertisement 'I think you've seen from game one to game six now the improvement, gaming as we've continued, five wins from six. So, we've got to believe that we can go and beat anyone. 'Players that have played for me at club and country often laugh at me because I'm somebody that believes that we can do anything if we really want to. 'So, whoever we get is going to be difficult, but we'll be prepared. That's for sure.' Austria are the only side not competing at this summer's European Championships. Ireland (26th) are unseeded, so will play at home first in the two-legged play-offs. League A status would significantly boost their 2027 World Cup qualification hopes. The Girls In Green will be without Anna Patten for the first leg of the October play-off: the Aston Villa defender is suspended after receiving a second yellow card this evening. Several other players, including Katie McCabe and Denise O'Sullivan, are one booking away from a ban. Ireland return to action later this month with a pair of friendlies away to world number one-ranked side USA. McCabe will not travel after a hectic season, which she finished as a Champions League winner with Arsenal. 'A number' of players could be unavailable, Ward confirmed. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country. She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others. There's going to be conversations. It won't just be Katie that won't be travelling. There's probably going to be a number. 'It's a difficult one. I mean, you've seen with Millie Bright at England coming out, mental and physical fatigue is massive. I felt it at Villa. It's the reason I needed that break. It's a really tough place to be, and I think there's a lot of players close to that. They've played a lot of minutes, so we have to protect them. 'We have to protect them as people, and we'll support anybody that needs that break.'
