A Premier League legend allegedly found himself in a romantic entanglement with a former Page 3 model, who had previously been linked to Prince Harry.

A onetime Page 3 model, known for a brief nightclub encounter with Prince Harry, was reportedly involved in a love triangle with a top-flight football star.

Chelsea great Michael Essien, who celebrated his 42nd birthday last week, enjoyed a stellar career at the club. He joined for a then-record £24 million under José Mourinho in 2005, winning the Premier League in his first season.

Cassie Sumner was romantically associated with a series of footballers and celebrities, including one particularly prominent figure.

The Ghanaian midfielder secured another league title in 2010, the Champions League in 2012, along with three FA Cups and a League Cup, before later following Mourinho to Real Madrid. Off the field, he also garnered attention for his involvement with Cassie Sumner, who had previously made news for her royal link.

The brunette model from West Sussex was a Page 3 regular and lads' mag favorite, once named one of FHM's Britain's Hottest 100 Girls.

After moving on from her brief involvement with Prince Harry, Cassie Sumner turned her attention toward a prominent midfielder in the Premier League.


Michael Essien found himself at the centre of love triangle allegations

After features in magazines like Loaded, Zoo, and Nuts, she posed for more explicit publications such as Playboy and Penthouse, and also appeared on the ITV reality series WAGs Boutique.

However, it was her account of a night with Prince Harry that truly sparked public interest. She was said to have partied with the then-19-year-old prince at London's Chinawhite nightclub, alongside fellow Page 3 model Lauren Pope.

In 2004, The Sunday People reported that the young royal was seen kissing and cuddling with both women at the venue.

The report stated, "moments after kissing Page 3 girl Lauren Pope, he was downing strong Sex on the Beach cocktails with curvaceous Cassie Sumner."


Both Cassie Sumner and Lurata Murati appeared to be rivals for the affection of Michael Essien.

Cassie Sumner publicly shared intimate details about Michael Essien and did not speak favorably of their time together.

Sumner later shared details, recalling that Prince Harry invited them to his private table. She described how the prince nuzzled her ear and she ran her fingers through his hair.

She claimed he also asked her to continue the evening at another location. "He was undressing me with his eyes," she explained.

"I knew he'd been kissing Lauren earlier, but after she left, he focused entirely on me. He seemed captivated by my breasts, spending more time looking at them than at my face when we spoke."

She told The Mirror: "He caught my eye at the bar and invited me to his table. Lauren had gone, so I thought, 'why not?'

"I sat down beside him, and he soon moved closer. Honestly, I wasn't particularly attracted to Harry.

"I prefer more muscular men. But he came across as a nice guy, just having a typical night out like any other single 19-year-old."

Cassie later became involved with Essien, though their relationship began controversially. The midfielder's ex-girlfriend, glamour model Lurata Murati, accused him of cheating on her with Cassie during their seven-month relationship.

Lurata fumed: "He's a deceitful cheat. He believes his status as a football star allows him to disrespect women.

"When I asked him about her, he just laughed it off on the phone, saying 'It's nonsense,' as if it meant nothing.

"It's hard to accept I was with a man who would associate with such a person. Now I just want Michael Essien out of my life."

Lurata, a 6ft tall blonde personal trainer, said Essien had courted her with champagne nights out and was enamored with her figure during intimate moments at her flat, but never invited her to his Surrey mansion.

Lurata, who claimed they first met at an upscale Knightsbridge restaurant and shared their flirtatious messages with the press, said she ended things after confronting him about Cassie.

The Mirror reported that Essien had been seeing Cassie, gifting her a BMW, and that she had "practically moved into his Surrey home"—the same mansion Lurata was never invited to.

Lurata expressed relief at discovering the other woman, whom Essien had apparently been dating for months, stating, "otherwise he would have led me on indefinitely."

When approached by a Mirror reporter about both Lurata and Cassie, Essien reportedly responded, "What are you talking about? No. Sorry," before hanging up.

Cassie, who had previously dated comedian Russell Brand, later gave a harsh review of her 17-month relationship with Essien, stating the sex "wasn't fantastic."

In her autobiography, Cassie Sumner: Loving it, she wrote that Essien "broke her heart" and denied their relationship entirely.

She wrote: "It's absurd. He let me into his life and his home."

She also told OK! magazine: "After Michael, I swore to God I'd never date another footballer. It took me two and a half years to break that promise."

However, that resolution was short-lived, as she is now happily married to former Southampton defender José Fonte. The couple met in 2009 when he played for Crystal Palace and have two children together.

Cassie said: "I didn't know José was a footballer when we met at a local bar. But he's different from other footballers I've known—he's genuinely a good man!"

She was even seen on the pitch with Fonte and the Henri Delaunay trophy when Portugal won Euro 2016.

After leaving Southampton, where he achieved consecutive promotions to the Premier League, Fonte also played for West Ham. He later captained Lille to a surprise Ligue 1 title in 2021, beating Paris Saint-Germain. He now captains Primeira Liga club Casa Pia and lives in Portugal with Cassie and their family.

Following his time in Spain, Essien had a brief stint at AC Milan before an injury-plagued spell at Greek side Panathinaikos. He later played for Persib Bandung in Indonesia and Sabail FK in Azerbaijan.

He currently works as a coach for Danish Superliga club Nordsjælland.