- By Danni Levy
“Ahh, the almighty tick of the second hand. The gentle reminder that time is really not on our side as we struggle through another day of pronoun littered emails, mind numbing messages and after school classes that make us wish Paddy McGuinness would just say, “Let the Russian, meet the roulette.”
Life isn’t like that for everyone though. At least, not for Wayne Lineker. His age is the very last thing to define him, yet ironically, it’s been the biting point for those hungry cookie cutter journalists for years. I mean, the dude has been repeatedly destroyed in the press for wanting to stay away from the bingo hall, and yet he’s still smiling.
The fact is, Wayne’s a nice guy. He’s more than nice. He’s a really good grandad (don’t call him that, it’s “Dar”), a proven solid dad and a shit hot businessman. What’s more, he enjoys a tipple every single day and has the bloods of a 25-year-old. If you ask me, these are attributes that define a living legend.
“Agesim is a terrible thing, it really is," he says, and he’s quite right. Wayne’s just landed back in Ibiza after a shoulder surgery and his goal is to be fresh for the soft opening of his famous O Beach, which for the first time will fall on his birthday, April 25th. “It’s nice because it’s my birthday, which is the first time it’s ever happened, so I’m very excited about that. My son Freddie is a DJ and playing the big set, which makes it even more awesome.
I touch on the drink topic. After all, every man, wife and dog are sober nowadays, aren’t they? Apparently not! Where there’s Wayne, there’s still fun in the sun. “I go into hibernation in the winter, so it’s just a civilized glass with dinner, but during the summer I make up for it,” he says. “I love a glass of red wine.”
The vino seems to be keeping those cogs oiled just right though….
“I get my health checked every single year,” says Wayne. “My kidneys, liver, blood pressure, heart, the whole works.
“My doctor in Ibiza randomly called me two years ago and said, “Wayne, I'm really worried about you.” I said, “Why, what's wrong?” He said, “I've seen your Instagram, you're out a lot, can we do some blood tests?” I had a number of tests and when the results came in, he called telling me he needed to see me urgently about the results.
“I couldn't sleep that night, because I was so worried. I thought the doctor was gonna give me five weeks to live, or something like that. The next morning, I walked into his office, and he threw the paperwork at me. He went, “You, my friend, are a medical marvel. Your blood, liver, and kidneys are like a 25-year-old, it's amazing, well done.”
Wayne has what he calls “a nice little routine.” He gets up early, has a carrot juice, then has a few drinks during the daytime whilst he’s working on social media. “I’m always in bed by 11 latest during the winter,” he says. “Then I wake up at around 8 and go to Skinny Kitchen, which is my health brand. “I walk a lot and after my shoulder is fixed I’ll go to the gym every single day.”
The only thing missing in his life is Mrs right. Sadly, Wayne’s penchant for beauty just doesn’t bring the mental match to the table.
“I’ve been single for over 7 years,” he says. “My ex was the girl of my dreams. I didn't want to end the relationship, but she had to start travelling the world for her modelling career so it just didn’t work. I've not really found anyone who could replace her since.
“I go on dates, but I'm not a one-night-stand kind of guy. I never ever have one-night-stands. I never have. People have this perception of me sleeping with different girls, but that's just not the case. I would definitely get married again. I'm always looking for that person. Always. I'm not some serial shag.”
“People say to me, “Why aren’t you dating a 60-year-old?” But I mean, that just wouldn’t look right. I wouldn’t be attracted to a woman my age. The problem is, I can't see myself in a relationship with someone in their 20s because they're not mentally grown up yet. They don't understand the world in the same way a 60-year-old does and it just never works. I’ve stopped trying it now, because it’s a waste of time. I need a woman in her late 30s or early 40s who looks great and has a mature outlook on life.
“I never go out late. I went to Eden twice last year, I went to High once, and that was it. I do go to O Beach every single day because I've got nothing else to do and it's amazing and everyone's happy and everyone wants to see me. That's my happy place. But, I do that because what else am I going to do? Sit in my apartment and watch fucking Loose Women? So, I go to the club, I'll have lunch and then I'll do my rounds, take all my pictures and then probably stay till about 9 o'clock.
“That said, it’s difficult to find a woman who will put up with my lifestyle. I mean, how many women are going to put up with me going to Ocean if they're not with me? So I'm sort of messed up.
“If I'm in a relationship, I want to be in a relationship all the time, 24 hours a day. But women don't see that, they see this guy just going to O Beach, being surrounded by girls in bikinis and having a great time. I get it, for a woman, that's a lot to take in. But always they jump the gun and presume I’m a playboy, when I'm actually not. I'm just a happy guy going about his amazing daily activities, and I enjoy them.”
A real family man at heart, dad-of-four Wayne spends a lot of his spare time with the grandkids. Now, I’m not a grandparent myself, but if and when that happens, I think nanny sounds kind of okay. Grandad just sounds “old” though, doesn’t it? It wouldn’t suit Wayne. That’s why his lot call him “Dar” instead.
“I'm extremely involved with my grandkids, I love them so much,” he says. “Myla, who’s nine in August, is like my best friend. I pick her up from school and we have a good chat. My son Duane tells me I spoil them too much but I can’t help it. They live here and I’ll see them every day this summer. They call me “Dar” because I mess around and do stupid things. I’m even planning a “Dar” tattoo.” Then I have Alba, my only grandson, who’s just amazing. His mum Tia is my pride and joy, having made an amazing high profile name for herself in the fashion industry. I can’t wait to walk her down the aisle in August.
More than just a son, Duane serves as Wayne’s right hand, left foot and big toe, taking care of the day-to-day running of the finances, accounts and important business matters. “Duane does most of it and I just take all the credit,” he says.
Jokes aside, the ladder from market trader to owning some of the world’s top places didn’t come with a leg up. “I never took an exam; I left school at 14 and went straight to work on the fruit ‘n’ veg markets with my dad,” says Wayne. “In 1986 the business started to take a tumble because your one-stop-shops like Sainsbury’s and Tesco's took over. I went to Tenerife and in 1987 I opened my first Lineker’s bar. By 2005 I had about 12 bars. Linekers opened doors to so much, and along with my partner Tony Truman and my son Duane I expanded the portfolio. Now we have over 20 businesses.
“Tony's my other partner, he controls the events, and Daune controls the finances, and I just take all the credit. But I did lay the foundations. For the first 20 years I worked endlessly. I did everything; the accounts, the banking, the DJing, and the serving. It was perfect timing when my son came in. The business grew so much and now I just sit back and take pictures all day.
As expected, Wayne’s planning to keep on living the good life this summer, as he helps launch San Antonio’s newest premium hotel, Bonito. Plonked smack bang across the road from O Beach, the premium resort promises to encapsulate the essence of the party island through style and good times and will boast a rooftop restaurant, deluxe bedrooms, a spa and gym, plus exciting events. Oh, and if you book direct through the website, you get a free pass to O Beach. Bonus!
"The hotel will open in the next few weeks,” he says. “It’s a partnership deal we have with a very powerful company that intends to build lots more beach hotels in the future.”
Loaded loves
If Carlsberg Made Dads… By Sean Lineker
If Carlsberg made dads, they would be a lot like Wayne Lineker
Wayne, dad or dar
A supportive man
To your biggest fan
A proper top chap
To you I doff my cap
The greatest to ever live
The constant want to give
It’s why in this life, you are
Loved and cherished the most, by far
Have a fantastic day
From your son, the greatest gay
“Sean is obsessed with padel,” says Wayne. “He has a padel business and he’s also my partner in big Putts. I love having a gay son- I think it’s super cool.”
