Forget WAGs here come the FADs! Meet Footballers’ Aspirational Daughters making more their dads!

Oversized sunglasses, designer bikinis, endless holidays… and a name they share with a very famous footballer.

No, we’re not talking about the WAGs. These days, all eyes are trained on the FADs — that’s Footballers’ Aspirational Daughters, of course.

Unlike many of their mothers’ rags to riches stories, FADs were born into multi-million-pound mansions and grew up riding ponies, attending private schools and sunning themselves in Dubai.

And now they’re sharing their fabulous lives online and making a mint.

If their Premiership-playing fathers were accused of being over-paid back in the day, their social media influencer daughters could easily now be out-earning them.

Michael Owen, 42, made £10,000 a week playing for Liverpool in the 1990s, but experts suggest his 19-year-old daughter, Love Island star Gemma Owen, can expect to make at least £1,000 a second for any 30-second TikTok video she posts in paid partnership with a brand.

No wonder Tatler has just crowned the sports heiress the most eligible girl in Britain.

‘What’s interesting about the FADs is that most of their audience don’t have a clue who their dads are,’ says Sara McCorquodale, the founder of CORQ, a digital trends forecasting service, and author of Influence: How Social Media Influencers Are Shaping Our Digital Future.

Tatler has just crowned Michael Owen’s daughter Gemma Owen (pictured), 19,the most eligible girl in Britain

Michael Owen (England, Liverpool and Manchester Utd forward)

‘These footballers’ daughters have always had this luxurious, aspirational life that girls and young women their age love to follow.’

‘Influencers with big followings like these girls — many of whom have 100,000 or more — can easily be looking at £30,000 for a 30-second TikTok video or a fee of £15,000 for going on a press trip,’ adds Sara.

From jewellery designers to professional netball players, here we celebrate the daughters scoring their own impressive career goals…

TATLER’S MOST ELIGIBLE TEEN 

GEMMA OWEN, 19

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Michael Owen (England, Liverpool and Manchester Utd forward).

FOLLOWERS: 2.1 million on Instagram and 1 million on TikTok.

WHO IS SHE? The youngest-ever member of Team GB’s Prime Dressage Squad, having joined at just 11, Gemma then set up her own swimwear label — OG Beachwear — during the 2020 lockdown, aged 17.

She was also the youngest ever contestant on this year’s Love Island, leaving the villa with a new boyfriend, fishmonger Luca Bish. Gemma recently signed a six-figure deal to become the face of fast fashion brand Pretty Little Thing and, according to Tatler, earns a reported £50,000 for a sponsored Instagram post.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Riding her gelding Sirius Black in the grounds of the £4 million family home in north Wales, or holidaying in Dubai and Portugal (where the Owens also have a home).

SHE SAYS: ‘There were a lot of classic comments [in dressage], you know, ‘Oh, Daddy got you a nice horse, so that’s why you’re here.’ I really had to prove myself as a rider.’

THE SPECIAL ONE’S DIAMOND GIRL

MATILDE MOURINHO, 26

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Jose Mourinho (former manager of Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs, now at A.S. Roma).

FOLLOWERS: 48,300 on Instagram

Matilde Mourinho (pictured), 26, studied at London College of Fashion and set up her sustainable brand Matilde Jewellery

Jose Mourinho (former manager of Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs, now at A.S. Roma) 

WHO IS SHE? She studied at London College of Fashion and set up her sustainable brand Matilde Jewellery, which uses laboratory-grown diamonds and recycled gold, in 2020. Prices go up to £1,800 for a gold bracelet and she won the emerging brand of the year award at the Professional Jeweller Awards.

Stormzy wore one of her bracelets in his video for Mel Made Me Do It (which Jose also starred in) and actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas wore Matilde earrings to a screening of the film Gully Boy.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Partying on a yacht in Sardinia, posting pictures of her Louis Vuitton handbags and styling her jewellery shoots.

SHE SAYS: ‘My mum is my biggest brand ambassador. Dad doesn’t wear jewellery, only a wedding ring.’

FRENCH BELLE WITH a BUSINESS BRAIN

CARLA GINOLA, 28

FOOTBALLER FATHER: David Ginola (French midfielder who played for Newcastle, Spurs, Aston Villa and Everton, appeared on I’m A Celebrity in 2021).

Carla Ginola (pictured), 28, attends the Dior Womenswear Spring/Summer 2021 show as part of Paris Fashion Week

David Ginola (French midfielder who played for Newcastle, Spurs, Aston Villa and Everton)

FOLLOWERS: 445,000 on Instagram, 226,000 on TikTok.

WHO IS SHE? A French model and influencer (although she prefers to style herself as a ‘digital communications manager’ on LinkedIn) who studied International Business at Regent’s University in London. She has collaborated with major fashion brands including Zadig & Voltaire and Intimissimi.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Looking very French and insouciant at Paris Fashion Week and the French Open, riding a gondola in Venice and posting snaps snuggling with fiance Adrien Rosenpick, a model and influencer in his own right with 111,000 followers.

SHE SAYS: ‘Instagram is my diary’

ANT AND DEC’S PICK OF THE POPS

HOLLIE SHEARER, 27

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Alan Shearer (England captain and Newcastle United forward).

Hollie Shearer (pictured), 27, is an Instagram influencer and model for brands such as Pretty Little Thing

Alan Shearer (England captain and Newcastle United forward)

FOLLOWERS: 66,700 on Instagram and 343,800 on TikTok.

WHO IS SHE? An Instagram influencer and model for brands such as Pretty Little Thing, Hollie is also working on her music career, which she describes as ‘country pop’. Her cover of Will Young’s Leave Right Now has had nearly 900,000 streams on Spotify. Fellow Geordies Ant and Dec are fans of her music. Of her song Love You Better, Dec said on Instagram: ‘Love it! Nice work Hol! Dx.’ She’s been dating England rugby star Joe Marchant since March.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Posing in bikinis in beach destinations around the world; recent locations include Barbados, Portugal and Dubai.

SHE SAYS: ‘What I love most about music is how you can connect with it, I love how it can help you emotionally through any mood you’re feeling… Country music is a massive inspiration to me mostly because of how real and raw it is.’

THE SPORTS STAR NETTING A FORTUNE

ALICIA SCHOLES, 21

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Paul Scholes (England and Man Utd midfielder)

Alicia Scholes (pictured), 21, is a professional netball player, playing centre and wing-attack for England U-21s and teams including Manchester Thunder and London Pulse

Paul Scholes (England and Man Utd midfielder)

FOLLOWERS: 116,000 on Instagram, 44,700 on TikTok

WHO IS SHE? Alicia is a professional netball player, playing centre and wing-attack for England U-21s and teams including Manchester Thunder and London Pulse. She also runs the Manchester-based Scholes Gym and earns money from sponsorship deals with activewear companies such as Gymshark.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Posting mirror selfies, videos of her training regimes and calling out online trolls.

SHE SAYS: ‘If anything, what I’ve learnt from my dad is to never look too far ahead of yourself. Obviously, it’s every girl’s dream to play for England but I never look at that now.’

IS THERE ANYTHING SHE CAN’T DO?

MIA CARRAGHER, 18

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Jamie Carragher (Liverpool defender).

Mia Carragher (pictured), 18, is a successful model, dancer and singer who’s studying at London’s Tring Park School for Performing Arts

Jamie Carragher (Liverpool defender)

FOLLOWERS: 87,300 on Instagram, 51,800 on TikTok

WHO IS SHE? A successful model, dancer and singer who’s studying at London’s Tring Park School for Performing Arts and has appeared in short films.

She was signed up by an LA talent scout when she was just 13 and is represented by top London agent United as well as being signed to the prestigious Select Model Management.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Performing dance routines on TikTok and posting shots on Instagram of her modelling for fashion brands including Cricket and Ellesse.

SHE SAYS: ‘When I dance I feel the most confident version of myself. In the day-to-day I’m quite shy so when I perform I come out of my shell. Because I do have a big following [on Instagram], when I go to a class and people know who I am, I do feel the pressure.’

GERRARD’S PARTY GIRL MAKING WAVES

LILLY-ELLA GERRARD, 18

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Steven Gerrard (England captain and Liverpool midfielder)

Lilly-Ella Gerrard (pictured), 18, is a model and influencer, who is allegedly dating the son of Irish drug cartel boss, Lee Byrne

Steven Gerrard (England captain and Liverpool midfielder)

FOLLOWERS: 197,000 on Instagram, 67,100 on TikTok

WHO IS SHE? Model and influencer, who is allegedly dating the son of Irish drug cartel boss, Lee Byrne. She’s already signed deals for fashion brand Boohoo, tracksuit brand No Bra Clique, activewear range Ari, White Tiger Clothing and pyjama brand The Sleepover Club.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Flying on a private jet, partying in Ibiza and recharging with a vitamin drip. It’s exhausting being an influencer don’t you know?

SHE SAYS: Erm, not much. But she is pretty good at lip-syncing to rap songs on her TikTok.

FASHIONISTA WITH POSH CONNECTIONS

MARIA GUARDIOLA, 21

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Pep Guardiola (manager of Manchester City)

Maria Guardiola (pictured), 21, is a model, influencer and fashion student who has interned for Victoria Beckham, Dior and Helmut Lang

FOOTBALLER FATHER: Pep Guardiola (manager of Manchester City)

FOLLOWERS: 418,000 on Instagram, 1,309 on TikTok

WHO IS SHE? Model, influencer and fashion student who has interned for Victoria Beckham, Dior and Helmut Lang. She is also an ambassador for Pep’s water sustainability charity, the Guardiola Sala Foundation.

YOU’LL FIND HER: Going for coffee in figure-hugging outfits and posing in infinity pools in tiny bikinis to promote swimwear brands such as iBilovesyou. She was also spotted going on a few dates with England player Dele Alli last year.

SHE SAYS: Maria seems to communicate chiefly in emojis; she’s a particular fan of the heart icon, which she’ll change to match the colour of that day’s outfit.

Picture research: Claire Cisotti