SHE fell for Premier League star Ruben Dias after they met at last year’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester.
Now, nine months on, it seems Love Island presenter Maya Jama is also head over heels for the Northern city where her fella lives and plays football.
Maya Jama fell for Premier League star Ruben Dias after they met at last year’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester[/caption]
The couple smile for a selfie on a romantic Italian break in May[/caption]
Stars were low key in a cap and shades while browsing phone accessories on Monday[/caption]
The Bristol-born TV host has been staying at Manchester City defender Ruben’s £2.5million penthouse apartment in the heart of the city.
She was at the Etihad Stadium to support him yesterday as The Blues faced Tottenham Hotspur in their first home game of the season.
But sadly, she wasn’t his lucky charm as they lost 2-0.
The couple have also recently been spotted out and about shopping, and Maya has shared snaps of herself in Ruben’s personal trophy room — plus posing for a selfie through the glass with a high-rise window cleaner.
It is understood she has been staying in the heart of the city with her Portuguese boyfriend as she considers a full-time move to support him in his career there.
A source said: “Maya loves the down-to-earth nature of Manchester, as well as the glamour of the football and WAG scene.
‘Very touchy-feely’
“Bristol and London will always be special to her, but she is loving spending more time in Manchester with Ruben. The city has become a celebrity hub — with The Brit Awards scheduled to be held there for the first time in February.”
On Monday, the couple enjoyed a low-key shopping date at the Manchester Arndale centre.
An onlooker said: “Ruben and Maya are clearly very in love. Maya was very touchy-feely with Ruben and they were in their own little bubble.”
Ruben, who kept a low profile in a black baseball cap, and Maya — seen wearing oversized sunglasses — were spotted browsing phone cases in the Apple store.
Meanwhile, Maya, 31, has been giving her 1.1million TikTok followers a glimpse into her new life up north.
Earlier this week, she posted a snap of her dinner on social media cooked by Ruben’s private Portuguese chef, Diogo Prego, who is employed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with protein bars and snacks, for the footballer.
On Tuesday, Maya tagged Diogo in her Instagram story as he served up greens and roasted meat.
She also shared a snap of her healthy lunch of steak and broccoli on Friday — with the chef visible at the sink in the background.
Diogo has garnered 195,000 followers by documenting his dishes for a “footballer in Manchester”.
Speaking about his client to Sun Sport, he said: “He does not eat sugar, we follow a healthy diet with lots of broth that I prepare for him.”
Daily shopping
Diogo also goes shopping daily in Manchester’s Northern Quarter to ensure the City star eats the freshest ingredients.
Earlier this month, Maya uploaded a video dancing in the hall of Ruben’s apartment with a £30,000 black Hermes bag on her arm.
In the background, fans could see a cabinet filled with trophies and football memorabilia curated by the footie ace during his career. And Maya has also been a hit at his tower block.
Window cleaner Ryan Brock shared a video of himself in a safety harness on the side of the skyscraper taking a selfie with Maya, who was inside the apartment.
She posed at the window, saying with a laugh: “How funny — nice to meet you.”
In March, Maya confirmed her romance with Ruben, 28, as she cheered him on at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium, where City drew 2-2 with Brighton.
She posted a video lip-syncing and dancing with pals in a hospitality box.
And it seems likely she will make more appearances at the ground after it emerged on Friday that Ruben has signed a two-year contract extension with Man City till 2029.
‘I want to marry’
The defender joined the club in 2020 for a fee of £65million from Portuguese club Benfica.
He said of his new deal: “I am incredibly happy. I love Manchester — it is my home now — and I love the Manchester City fans.
“When I think about the trophies we have won and the way we have played our football during my time here, I couldn’t imagine playing anywhere else.”
Maya reposted the announcement to her 3.2million Instagram followers on Friday, captioned with a blue love heart.
Ruben’s relationship and Man City career are thriving[/caption]
The ITV star, estimated to be worth some £1.5million, moved to London aged 16 from her hometown of Bristol to pursue her dream of becoming a presenter.
She previously told how, before getting her big break, she held down jobs at Urban Outfitters and Lipsy and stayed at a relative’s place, where there was “no gas, no electricity”.
And she claimed she sometimes had to freshen up in the sinks at work.
But speaking fondly of her hometown to Vogue in 2023, she said: “I’ve never met a pr**k from Bristol. We’re really good people, and it’s a weird balance between being a city but everyone’s entwined. A big sense of community.”
Maya’s romance with Ruben comes after she split from rapper Stormzy, 32, in July last year — ten years after they first started dating.
In between their on-off relationship, she was briefly engaged to basketball player Ben Simmons, but they split in August 2022, months after he popped the question.
Weeks before meeting Ruben, Maya told the Evening Standard that she was ready to settle down, explaining: “I am so happy right now, but the next person I meet I want to marry and have kids with
“So obviously, I’m feeling fussy. I’m in this lovely bubble and I don’t want you unless you make me happy.
“The mission in life is to make yourself happy, then find someone who brings something that matches that to the table.”