Jill Roord (28), former top player at Arsenal, is in a new relationship with Pien Sanders (27), Olympic champion in field hockey in Tokyo.
The two got close about nine months ago, around the time they both ended their previous relationships.
Roord split from Jana Fernandez, with whom he had been in a relationship for two years, while Sanders ended a ten-year relationship with hockey player Thijs van Dam, according to The Sun.
Their story came to light after they appeared together in a pictorial done for Linda Meiden magazine. In the images, the two athletes appear in tender and passionate poses, including photos in which they wear matching red outfits and kiss.
“I felt connected through the screen!”
About the moment when he realized the strong attraction for Roord, Sanders candidly confessed: “I felt a connection through the screen as I was texting him. Damn it. I thought. “I don’t want to feel what I feel inside me right now.” I slept badly because of it. People understood my struggles. It was hard for others to understand that I could instantly fall in love with someone else, and I completely understand that!“.
For her part, Roord explained how their joint decision took several people by surprise: “We both made a decision that would have shocked others and we were aware of that. But in the end you have to live with yourself until you’re 80 and the most important thing is to be happy!“.
Roord now plays soccer in his native country at FC Twente, while Sanders plays hockey for Den Bosch.
