Under-fire Premier League boss Russell Martin’s relationship with lads’ magazine icon Lucy Pinder

Southampton’s manager Russell Martin is finding some solace off the pitch amid his side’s poor Premier League campaign with former lads’ mag fave Lucy Pinder.

The 38-year-old has been feeling the heat from fans, with Southampton languishing at rock bottom of the league, having clinched a solitary win and draw in 11 games. Yet outside of his professional woes, life is on the up for Martin as it’s come to light that he’s been romancing the 40-year-old model and actor.

During the noughties, Pinder was a regular in the pages of lads’ mag titans such as FHM and Loaded. She became famous for baring all in Nuts Magazine and was a frequent name on FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women in the World” list multiple times.

The romance follows Martin’s parting ways with his wife, Jasmine, last year, with whom he shares three children. In what has possibly made their coupling even smoother, Pinder is reportedly a huge Southampton fan, and the duo has apparently “grown closer” in recent months.

Pinder made their romance public in August, uploading to Instagram a photo of the couple in Brighton, where Martin was receiving an honorary degree in his hometown. A source told The Sun that the pair are now head over heels for one another.

It’s claimed that Martin’s new relationship with the model had no connection to the split between him and Jasmine. “They’re a match made in heaven – or at least in Southampton. They’re mad for each other,” the source said.

“There was no overlap. Russ’s marriage had ended and he was downcast. His focus was on caring for the kids and ensuring their well-being. However, amidst the sorrow, as he immersed himself in work, Russ found a connection with Lucy. She is a familiar face at Southampton events and is always present at the club as a staunch fan. Over time, their friendship blossomed into something more.”

Pinder first shot to fame as a Page Three girl. She later graced the Celebrity Big Brother house in 2009, where she was the first to be shown the door.

The glamour model also dabbled in acting, landing a minor part in the American flick Sharknado 5: Global Swarming in 2017. Her love life has previously made waves when in 2016, she was rumoured to be seeing Captain America star Chris Evans, with one tabloid suggesting she was “smitten” with the Marvel actor.

While their relationship was never officially confirmed, Pinder was seen enjoying a daytime outing with Evans at Disneyland in January 2015. These days, Pinder hosts her own podcast ‘Smashing Sundays’, alongside comedy writer Beth Granville and has been involved in charity work in recent years.

While his significant other is enjoying a stable career trajectory, it’s been a tough time for Martin. He was absolutely livid post-match after seeing his team suffer a 2-0 loss to Wolves, with a VAR decision cancelling one of their goals and missing what he believed was a foul leading up to the opposition’s second.

Under the cosh and feeling the heat, Martin remains stoic about his job security. Post-Wolves loss, he firmly stated: “It will be what it will be. We work as hard as we can, give as much care, love and commitment to the players as we can. The rest is out of my control. I don’t sweat it or focus on it.”

It doesn’t get any easier for him after the international. Next up for Southampton is league leaders Liverpool at St Mary’s this Sunday (November 23).