Louis Tomlinson comes face-to-face with Zara McDermott’s ex Sam Thompson just weeks after romance confirmed
Louis Tomlinson and Sam Thompson desperately tried to avoid eye contact when they finally came face to face at Soccer Aid training on Thursday, according to reports.
The former One Direction singer and the Made In Chelsea star are both playing for the England team at this weekend’s charity match at Old Trafford.
Despite being teammates for Unicef, the pair attempted not to draw attention to themselves during the training session.
The awkward encounter comes after Thompson’s ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott began dating Tomlinson following her split from the TV presenter in January.
Both men arrived at the Manchester venue, putting on brave faces for photographers, with Tomlinson seen “beaming” as he made his way onto the pitch carrying a black sports bag.
However, the attempts to maintain distance proved unsuccessful when Tomlinson was caught staring at Thompson during the training session.
The 33-year-old singer gave his teammate “a lingering stare while on the pitch”, despite their efforts to avoid each other throughout the session.
Both men wore matching blue football kits as they participated in a kick-about with fellow players, including Tom Grennan, Joe Hart, and Gorka Marquez.
The pair have been given separate spaces in the changing rooms, with their names positioned apart from each other.
McDermott showed support for her new boyfriend the night before training, posting a photo of “creamy salmon pasta for dinner” on social media with Tomlinson’s guitar visible in the background.
Thompson, 32, and McDermott, 28, confirmed their split in January after more than five years together.
The former Love Island contestant moved on quickly with Tomlinson, with the couple going public with their romance in March.
They have since enjoyed holidays to Los Angeles and Costa Rica, with Tomlinson reportedly flying McDermott first-class to the island.
The swift transition sparked comments from Thompson on his podcast, where he reflected on people who “look for validation in other people” and “look for the next person instantly”.
Meanwhile, Thompson has begun dating Love Island’s Samie Eilshi, 25, with the pair spotted sharing a kiss in Mayfair last month.
Their romance is reportedly “going from strength to strength”, according to sources close to the couple.
Thompson has previously insisted there are “no hard feelings” towards Tomlinson over the relationship with his ex-girlfriend.
Speaking to The Mirror in May, Thompson said: “I’ve never met Louis, but the moment I see him, I’ll be like, ‘mate, how amazing is this what we’re doing, and hopefully we can make as much money as possible.'”
He added: “And I imagine – from what I hear is a really lovely bloke – I imagine the reply will be exactly the same.”
During a podcast appearance, Thompson emphasised the charity focus, stating: “It’s not about me or Louis or who anyone is dating, it’s f***king Unicef and charity and everyone is going to be there for the exact same reason.”
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Thompson recently raised over £1.5 million for Unicef by completing a 260-mile challenge from London to Manchester.
Sources close to Thompson told MailOnline he holds no grudges against Tomlinson despite his heartache over McDermott moving on so quickly.
“Sam has no hard feelings towards Louis, that’s for sure,” the source said. “As far as he’s concerned, Louis is Zara’s new man and he’s just got to accept it.”
Thompson’s new girlfriend Eilshi recently spoke about their relationship on the Chloe Mediumship podcast, revealing she has positive feelings about their romance.
“There’s been no bad stuff at the minute so yeah I suppose it is all positive right now. It’s early days,” the former Love Islander said.
The Soccer Aid match airs on Sunday evening on ITV1 and ITVX from Old Trafford, with both men joining teammates including Wayne Rooney, Tyson Fury and Paddy McGuinness.