Arsenal icon David Seaman mobbed by fans every day – including Spurs supporters
He might have retired in 2004 but according to his wife former goalkeeper David Seaman still gets mobbed everywhere he goes.
The 58-year-old is the second most-capped England goalkeeper after Peter Shilton and played in two World Cups and two European Championship finals.
He famously broke Scottish fans’ hearts when he saved a penalty by Gary McAllister during their Euro 96 clash at Wembley.
And, playing for Arsenal between 1990 and 2003, he also earned an MBE for his services to football.
Ex-Dancing On Ice pro Frankie, who wed David in 2015 after falling in love when they were partnered on the skating show in 2008, says: “Everybody loves David.
“I can’t walk down the street without somebody having to stop and give him major love.
“I walk behind with sanitiser because he’s always shaking hands.”
David adds: “I even get Tottenham fans saying, ‘You’re a legend. Not so much with Arsenal but with England’. It’s really nice and brings back some great memories.
“However, I’ve just been up to Loch Lomond to play golf and a few of the caddies were reminding me of certain saves I made
against Scotland saying, ‘You broke our hearts’.”
The couple have been appointed British Heart Foundation ambassadors and today – World Heart Day – will present a prize at the charity’s awards ceremony.
Is David Seaman the Premier League's greatest ever goalkeeper? Let us know in the comments section below.
The Heart Hero Awards honour everyone from researchers and doctors to brave children who have fought dangerous conditions.
And, due to his own heart troubles, David immediately realised Danish player Christian Eriksen had suffered a cardiac arrest when he collapsed during their game against Finland in the Euros this summer.
Now the couple are urging everyone to be more aware of looking after the most vital organ in the body.
David says: “Footballers are not always tested all the time for everything – look at Christian Eriksen in the Euros.
“If it’s in the family, it’s hereditary, you need to get checks done.
“For me it’s even closer to home. I had an irregular heart condition while I was playing and had palpations during training, so got tested. It’s treatable and I’ve been living with that, but I knew what it was by the way Christian fell.
“The natural instinct for the body is to protect itself when it’s falling.
“When they don’t do that you know they’re in trouble.”
Frankie, who got together with David on Dancing On Ice’s spin-off tour shortly after both their marriages came to an end, has her own personal reason for supporting the charity too.
She says: “I was born with a leaky heart condition.
“My dad died last year at 94 but he had a heart attack when he was 86.
“They put stents in his heart, through his wrist and blew a balloon up an artery that was blocked. When you look at the advances the British Heart Foundation have contributed to it’s amazing.”
Dad-of-four David was also close to the family of late TV presenter Sir David Frost, who lost his son Miles to inherited heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
The couple both support the Covid vaccine, having been double jabbed, and Frankie, 48, is surprised three of the Strictly dancers are allegedly refusing.
She says: “If I was dancing with someone else I would take that step because I wouldn’t feel I was going to suffer too much from having the vaccine being young, healthy and fit.
“But it’s a personal thing.”
Following a barrage of disgusting racist comments launched at the England team during the Euros this year, David believes attempts to stamp it out from the game are on the right track – but there’s still work to be done.
Stars Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all received a torrent of racist abuse online after missing penalties in the final against Italy.
David says: “The achievement in the Euros was brilliant, however it was overshadowed by what happened afterwards with racism and crowd trouble at Wembley.
“They’ve got to keep going hard at it because it works.
“I saw the England qualifier at Wembley and when the players took the knee the reaction of the crowd when they applauded was amazing.
“There was this issue when players take the knee some of the crowd start to boo but now the fans are all applauding to drown out the boos.
“I spoke to Andros Townsend’s dad Troy, who is really working hard to kick it out, and he was really happy with that reaction.
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“That’s how far we’ve come.
“Taking the knees is not a political statement, it’s a statement against racism.”
They finish each other’s sentences and laugh in tandem like newlyweds, so would David and Frankie consider renewing their wedding vows one day or working together again on the box?
Frankie says: “Yes – I love a party. I’m very celebratory so any time there’s an excuse for balloons and cake…”
David, who has a weekly podcast called Seaman Says, adds: “We would love to do more stuff together but not a reality show.”
David and Frankie Seaman have been appointed British Heart Foundation ambassadors and will today present an award at the Heart Hero Awards ceremony.
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