Louis Tomlinson and Sam Thompson try to avoid eye contact on the Soccer Aid training pitch after singer started dating TV star’s ex Zara McDermott

At Soccer Aid training on Thursday, Louis Tomlinson and Sam Thompson were spotted making an effort to steer clear of each other’s gaze when they eventually met.

The two gentlemen are teammates on the same England squad supporting Unicef, the charity where Sam recently finished a grueling five-day, 260-mile marathon last Friday. However, they were trying to keep a low profile, although at one instance, Louis was spotted fixated on Sam.

Although Sam maintains that no ill feelings remain, it’s likely that their breakup will still be somewhat painful for him, since Sam and Zara McDermott, aged 28, announced in January that they had parted ways after more than five years of being together.

Since March, when their relationship became public, Zara and the 33-year-old singer Louis have been inseparable, suggesting that she has moved forward swiftly with him and seems to be quite smitten.

During their training sessions, Sam and Louis seemed to steer clear of one another, however, the musician was observed casting a prolonged gaze at the television personality while they were both on the field.

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The duo was spotted playing a casual game of soccer, all dressed in identical blue uniforms alongside their teammates.

It appears that Sam and Louis will maintain some space between them in the locker rooms since they each have their own separate areas.

When Sam got to the venue for the three-day training sessions, he wore a resilient smile for the photographs, while an enthusiastic Louis was snapped upon arrival and heading towards the field.

The evening prior, Zara demonstrated her backing for her latest beau Louis by preparing them both a creamy salmon pasta dish for their meal. In the photo she shared, a guitar belonging to the singer could be seen prominently in the frame.

Sam and Zara, a former Love Island contestant aged 28, parted ways after five years this year, and it appears that Zara has already started a new relationship with Louis.

I’ve been absolutely thrilled, living and breathing every detail of their recent romantic escapade! They jetted off to Los Angeles, then Costa Rica, straight from a luxurious first-class flight, with my beloved idol in tow. It’s pure bliss just thinking about them enjoying their cozy time together at his LA residence and tropical getaway in Costa Rica. I can hardly contain my excitement!

Meanwhile I’m A Celeb winner Sam has moved on with Love Island beauty Samie Eilshi, 25. 

Following the public display of affection between them when they passionately kissed in Mayfair a month ago, whispers about their separation intensified as Samie was conspicuously missing from Sam’s high-profile soccer event for Charity last week.

These rumors, it seems, have been effectively debunked. Instead, their relationship appears to be flourishing, as evidenced by their fondness for spending quality time together during their free hours, according to a source privy to their lives who spoke to TopMob.

During a recent episode of their podcast “Staying Relevant,” Pete Wicks, aged 37, playfully hinted at an upcoming possibly uncomfortable meeting between him and Louis regarding Sam.

The TOWIE star inquired of his fellow host, “It seems you’re dealing with quite a bit regarding your body, dieting, and intense workouts. Is this all in preparation for Soccer Aid?

However, without changing the topic, Pete went on to ask, “Are there any particular individuals inside that you’re eager to collaborate with?

Sam chuckled, saying, “‘Tom Grennan.’ I’m quite excited about sharing the stage with Wayne Rooney since Tyson Fury is his manager. I can hardly contain my enthusiasm!

Pete quipped, “That will undoubtedly be fantastic. Just remember to win him over since you might require his support if things go awry between you and someone else. I’m not saying it will happen, but it’s best to have backup in case there are any disagreements or rivalries.

It requires a lot of training when you’re working closely with someone. Conversations can get quite deep and cover various topics.

In another location, singer Tom Grennan displayed his well-toned body in a snug white shirt and blue denim pants while attending Soccer Aid training.

At the same time, ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart smiled brightly as he prepared for pictures prior to the match, while Strictly contestant Gorka Marquez made his entrance too.

After Sam announced that he would attend Soccer Aid, he posted a fresh Instagram photo on Thursday, following a series of painful injuries. (Informal: Following some tough injuries, Sam shared a new Instagram post on Thursday, confirming his attendance at Soccer Aid.)

The victor of “I’m A Celebrity” took a selfie in front of the mirror at his residence in Chelsea, and shared that he’s preparing for a training session prior to the upcoming celebrity charity game on Sunday.

Sam looked stylish, sporting a black long-sleeved shirt paired with khaki cargo pants and crisp white sneakers.

In a cheerful mood, the star of the “Staying Relevant” podcast posed for a selfie while donning a white backpack and a pair of Dinelli shades.

He wrote: ‘Off to Soccer Aid! What a 4 days its going to be!’

Leaving his house, Sam flashed a grin as he posed for a photo with his brother-in-law, Ryan Libbey, and carried a big water bottle to keep himself well-hydrated.

Last week, Sam endured a strain in his calf muscle during the initial day of his tough 260-mile soccer marathon for Unicef.

Although the TV personality expressed concerns that his legs could prevent him from participating in the football match and asserted his efforts to prepare, there’s a possibility that Sam may participate in parts of the game, given that he is going for training.

On Tuesday, Sam posted another update. He said, “Attempting to perfect my soccer skills! I’m determined to make a contribution to the game [grinning face emoji]

As a devoted admirer, I can share that, thus far, no formal adjustment has been announced regarding my role in Soccer Aid. I’m carrying on with my regular training sessions and receiving additional physical therapy, as usual.

Sam chuckled, confirming he was enjoying it, yet clarified that it wasn’t the case for the game itself, prompting Pete to ask: “Are you perhaps mistaken about this being for Soccer Aid? How are you feeling? You’re back on the field again. Surely, it must be quite thrilling.

He added: ‘How do you feel about the line up? Do you think you’ve got a strong team?’

Awkwardly laughing, Sam replied: ‘Got a really strong team’.

Sam and Louis are set to team up with celebrities like Tyson Fury, Jill Scott, Grennan, and Paddy McGuinness on an impressive roster, whereas Wayne Rooney is coming back from retirement to serve as one of the coaches.

It’s possible that Sam now has additional time to nurture his romantic involvement with Samie, as they have just shared details about their relationship publicly for the first time.

Initially, Sam crossed paths with Samie, who graced Love Island in 2023 and reappeared in the All Stars edition this very year, due to his hosting duties on Aftersun.

For the very first time, Samie discussed the growing bond during a chat on the Chloe Mediumship podcast.

In this episode, the program features a psychic medium who unveiled that the participant had experienced uneasy intuitions about past romantic partners.

She shared: “I’ve had instinctive feelings about men in the past. I’ve been in a few relationships where I just knew they weren’t right. It was like I could sense that things were going to conclude, I’d have a feeling deep down every day telling me this isn’t meant for you.

Initially, you push the issue aside, and gradually, you observe the situation becoming more disordered. It seems as though the cosmos is warning you to part ways lest it destroys both of you. If only I had heeded that initial message I received months ago.

You ignored the problem at first, but now things are getting messy. It feels like the universe might explode if you don’t separate soon. I wish I had listened to that first warning months ago.

Later on, Chloe inquired: ‘I understand if you’d rather not discuss it extensively, but can I ask if you sense a strong connection with the person you’re conversing with now? Do you feel it could potentially turn out well?’

With a guarded expression, the ex-Love Island participant responded: ‘At present, there’s nothing negative going on, so yes, I guess everything is favorable for now. It’s still the beginning stages.’

Ever since whispers of a potential romance between Zara and Louis started swirling at the beginning of the year, I’ve been hooked! It wasn’t until March that they finally stepped out together, three months after TopMob broke the news about Zara ending things with her former boyfriend Sam. I can hardly contain my excitement over this intriguing turn of events!

Although Sam felt deeply hurt by Zara’s swift move towards a new relationship with Louis, individuals privy to Sam’s situation confirmed to TopMob that he harbors no resentment towards Louis.

A source close to the star said: ‘Sam has no hard feelings towards Louis, that’s for sure.

‘As far as he’s concerned, Louis is Zara’s new man and he’s just got to accept it.

He’s an optimistic individual who tends to brush off difficulties and focus on his tasks ahead. He dives headfirst into the engaging assignments that are in store for him.

It’s clear that his heart was heavy when their relationship ended, and it can be challenging for anyone when an ex starts moving on swiftly. Understandably, if he felt both anger and despair in such a situation, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

‘But he’s not sitting around wallowing in self pity, far from it.’

For a period of five years, Zara and Sam were a couple. They parted ways toward the end of 2024, not long after the well-known Made In Chelsea character completed work on the Australian spinoff show Unpacked for I’m A Celeb.

On Sunday, 15th June this coming weekend, you can catch the Soccer Aid for Unicef match live on ITV1 and ITVX. The game will be broadcasted from Old Trafford, Manchester in the evening.

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2025-06-12 17:34