Detailing their private battles over England defender Ashley's move
to Spain, 23-year-old Cheryl explained: "Ashley was offered a hell
of a lot of money to go...the deal was there on the table.
"I stopped him living his dream playing out there. It made things
difficult. I've been through a s**t, horrible relationship before,
so I refuse to argue with Ashley. I disagree with him, that's human
nature, but I won't get into an abusive relationship again.
"So there was a lot of disagreement, and there were a lot of tears
being shed.
"He has always told me never to talk about this, but I think people
should know."
The couplethe darlings of celebrity magazinesmarried in July
2006. The Madrid offer would have seen him move a month
later.
Girls Aloud were on their way to their current record total of 17
chart entries.
"I've worked just as hard as he has to get where I am and we spoke
about it at length," Cheryl told GQ Magazine.
"Either I'd have had to move out there with him and commute, or
give up my career at a time when we'd finally been accepted as a
band and it was almost cool to like Girls Aloud."
But now she almost wishes that Ashley, 26, had followed his dream
and transferred abroad.
"For the hurt it has caused him and his family, yes," she said
simply. "For me and my careerselfish reasons, I knowthen
no.
"But it would have been equally selfish for him to go there, so
there had to be some sort of compromise."
But it was compromise at a high price. He was branded a traitor by
his Arsenal fans when, unsettled, he moved instead to London rivals
Chelsea in a £20 million deal last year.
"I almost begged Ashley to sign for Chelsea not really knowing what
that would mean," she confessed.
"I know a bit about football, growing up in Newcastle, and I know
it would be difficult for a player to go from Newcastle to
Sunderland, for instance.
"But I didn't realise the extent to which moving from Arsenal to
Chelsea would cause so much hurt between the two of us, and to
Arsenal fans,"
Cheryl continued. "And for that I do apologise. He wouldn't have
got half as much s**t if he had gone there (to Madrid) rather than
Chelsea. And I blame myself for a lot of that.
Earlier this summer, Sunderland manager Roy Keane branded henpecked
Premiership stars "weak" for being "dictated to by wives and
girlfriends".
The former Manchester United hero was livid after one high-profile
player rejected a move to the North East because his partner didn't
like the local shops.
But for Cheryl, the issues go far deeper and she is keen to
stress the difference between herself and Queen WAG Victoria
Beckam, who followed husband David to Real Madrid.
"It's not as easy for Girls Aloud because the band is still
performing and recording, whereas the Spice Girls weren't," she
said.
"I'd have gone there if I'd been in Victoria's situation. But I
wasn't prepared to give up everything I had worked so hard for just
so Ashley could realise his dream."
Apart from the anguish over their careers, Cheryl insisted their
marriage was strong and she laughed off gay rumours surrounding
Ashley.
"No I can say that categorically, she said. "There was this rumour
mill going...and I shouldn't be laughing because he'll go mad at
me."
Referring to a story involving bizarre use of a small mobile phone,
she added: "Anyway, there were these three mixed-race
footballers...
"Ashley likes gossip so he was calling all his mates saying, I
hear it's so and so', and then one paper said it was an England
star, and I turned to him and said, They'll be saying it's you
next'. And someone did. But he sued, they apologised and the
compensation paid for my ring."
