Footballer Gary Speed’s widow Louise has said she feels ‘blessed to have found love again’ after striking up a relationship with a millionaire property developer.
Louise has fallen for businessman Andrew Dickens – two years after the death of her second husband Quinton Bird to brain cancer.
Louise, 53, and Andrew, 45, have also gone into business together by opening a property development firm.
The former WAG has set up home with her new beau Andrew at his modern farmhouse near Wrexham, North Wales.
Andrew revealed the pair are from the same village and they fell in love after they became friends recently.
Gary Speed’s widow Louise with her new boyfriend property developer Andrew Dickens
Louise with Gary Speed at Lancashire County Cricket club. The pair first met as 15-year-olds in Flintshire, North Wales, and their first date was at a tennis club when he forgot his racket
Louise and second husband Quinton Bird tied the knot during a lavish ceremony in Cheshire. But he died months later from cancer
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Andrew said: ‘Funnily enough we are from the same small village in North Wales and only lived a few hundred yards from each other.
‘It was only in recent years that we became good friends.’
A relative said: ‘Louise and Andrew have been together a while now. She has moved into his place in Wales.
‘They are currently on holiday together in the South of France. They make a lovely couple.’
Louise’s love life has been hit by tragedy.
Her second husband Quinton, also a property developer, had helped Louise end years of loneliness after Wales football manager Gary took his own life 13 years ago.
But Quentin succumbed to an aggressive brain tumour only six months after tying the knot with Louise at a Cheshire castle in November 2021.
In 2011 Louise’s world fell apart after finding the former Newcastle United, Everton and Leeds midfielder’s body in the garage of the Cheshire mansion they shared with sons Eddie and Tommy, who were just 14 and 13 when they lost their father.
In an interview with the Daily Mail on the tenth anniversary of her childhood sweetheart’s death, Louise admitted she suffered two years of ‘struggling to get off the sofa’.
Louise Speed with her new boyfriend Andrew. The couple have also gone into business together by opening a property development firm
In photographs from her marriage to Quinton in November 2021, Louise can be seen in a stunning white lace gown with intricate detailing across the sleeves and train
Louise and Gary first met in their teens and had a date at their local tennis club in Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales
Louise and Gary had two sons together Eddie (left) and Tommy (right) who have both grown up to be good footballers and are now studying in New York, where they live 20 minutes apart
She recalled: ‘It was like being in the worst nightmare possible. There were no answers and no Gary walking through the door again.
‘Nothing was ever going to be right again.
‘I was trudging through life, just functioning. If I could have been anybody else apart from me, for a long time, I would have happily taken it.’
Gary and Louise first got together as 15-year-olds in Flintshire, North Wales, and their first date was at a tennis club when he forgot his racket.
The Welsh midfielder won the old Division One title for Leeds in 1992 under Howard Wilkinson.
He then went on to play for Everton, Newcastle United followed by stints with Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United, where he took over as manager in 2010.
When,with only four months’ managerial experience he was appointed Wales manager in early 2011, Louise said she was ‘excited’ as it was not as demanding as club football and the couple could plan more.
Andrew (pictured) revealed that the pair were from the same village in Wales, living just a few hundred yards from each other
Mother of two Louise on her wedding day to Quinton (right), at Peckforton Castle in a room filled with stunning white flowers and candles (pictured with their toastmaster, centre)
Louise has formerly spoken about the trauma of her first husband Gary’s passing
Wales star Gary Speed had a long and successful career in the Premier League playing for Leeds, Newcastle, Bolton and Everton before finishing his career at Sheffield United in the Championship
But within a few months, he was dead.
His inquest heard that the night before he died, the couple had a row.
Louise said she had gone for a drive after they had an argument when they returned from a dinner party, but she could not get back into the house.
She found his body early the next morning.
Four days earlier Speed, 42, sent his wife a text talking ‘in terms of taking his life’ but she said he had dismissed it because of their children.
Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg said he could not be satisfied Speed intended to kill himself.
Louise and Quinton tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, in a room filled with stunning white flowers and candles.
Guests at the wedding in November 2021 included former England captain Alan Shearer, who was a close friend of Gary’s after they played together for Newcastle.
The couple were also business partners as directors of successful new-build and renovation company Bow Property Development in Chester for six years.
