![Delaney Royle Thibaut Courtois](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/delaney-royle.jpg?quality=65&strip=all)
Dogwalker Delaney Royle pictured on her Instagram page.
Tabloids in England are saying that Chelsea’s goalkeeper left his girlfriend for the family’s teenage dog walker. The Sun published a report on April 9 that said Thibaut Cortois, 24, had “struck up” a relationship with Delaney Royle, 19. A week earlier, Cortois announced publicly that he had split from his girlfriend, Marta Dominguez, 24. Dominguez is the mother of Cortois’ daughter, Adriana, born in 2015, and is pregnant again with a son, Nicholas.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Courtois & Royle First Connected on Instagram
![Delaney Royle Facebook](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/delaney-royle1.jpg?quality=65&strip=all)
(Facebook)
According to the Sun’s report, Courtois and Royle first started talking on Instagram. Since the publication of that piece, she’s put her Instagram on private. After some conversing, Royle began walking Courtois’ dog, Yoshi. That’s despite the fact Royle lives 60 miles from Courtois. The Chelsea player lives in Surrey while Royle is in Kent. A source also told the son that because of his rigourous training and playing schedule, Courtois rarely sees Yoshi, a Pomeranian. That same source said that Courtois bought the dog after seeing Royle with her Pomeranian on Instagram.
2. Her Dad Says She’s Only Allowed to Date West Ham Players
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(Getty)
In an interview with the Sun, Royle’s dad, Jonathan, said, “There’s no relationship between her and a Chelsea player. Maybe one day a West Ham player. It’s a West Ham player or nothing, that’s the rules.”
3. She Has One Direction Video on YouTube That Has Nearly 1 Million Views
A YouTube video posted by Royle in 2014 showing One Direction stars Liam Payne and Harry Styles messing around has nearly 1 million views. On her now-defunct Twitter page, Royle is shown to be an obsessive fan of the band, as well as Australian singer-songwriter Cody Simpson. Her Twitter bio celebrates the fact that Simpson had begun following her.
In on Instagram snap, Royle can be seen hugging Geordie Shore star Scotty T. According to her Facebook page, Royle attended Gads Hill School in Kent, a school that was made out of the former home of author Charles Dickens.
4. Courtois Was Previously Accused of Cheating on Dominguez With Model Emily Vanhoutte
In August 2015, it was widely reported that former Miss Belgium Emily Vanhoutte was claiming she’d had an affair with Courtois. The beauty queen said the pair had hooked up just prior to the 2014 World Cup.
On April 3, Courtois announced that he and Marta Dominguez where to split. He added in a statement that the pair would remain friends for the sake of their family. The goalkeeper said, “My girlfriend Marta and I are no longer together. We both went our own way, even though she was expecting our second child. She moved to Madrid, I stayed in London. We still love each other but we don’t have a romantic relationship. But we don’t run away from our responsibilities. We are first and foremost parents of a beautiful princess, Adriana, and our about-to-be-born son Nicolas. We’ll strive to give our children the love and attention they deserve.”
5. The News Comes as Courtois Looks Certain to Win His Second Premier League Medal
Courtois, who has just celebrated his 100th game for Chelsea, is busy on the field closing in on what would be his second Premier League title. The team is clear from London rivals Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table. The day before the Royle story broke, Chelsea had just destroyed strugglers Bournemouth 3-1.