I am so excited about the current Women’s World Cup that I can hardly think straight, dear readers, but I have been able to go on holiday brimming with excitement, and whilst on my travels I have bumped into the cream of UK footballers – all of who also seem to be celebrating their long and hard seasons with a little jauntette into the sunshine.

It seems only fair, therefore, that I focus on the news and holiday snaps of some of our nation’s finest players in my column this week. Enjoy, sweeties, and try not to mourn too hard on the crashing out of England’s U21 side earlier this month. At least now those boys can enjoy and extended summer holiday too…

1.       Lampard & Bleakley

Ever a style favourite (for all the wrong reasons) Frank ‘Super Goals’ Lampard scored a cracker while on holiday in L.A earlier this month. The Chelsea ace has proposed to his Daybreak-presenting girlfriend while on their jollies, and she accepted his offer…

The England midfielder splashed out a mere £120,000 on the engagement ring for Miss Bleakley (a drop in the ocean for a man who reportedly earns £151,000 a week), and proposed to her after a beachside lunch – causing Christine to cry for 10 minutes. With joy, Dr Sparkles would hope.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that Frank has been engaged as he has two children with ex-fiancé (and - at time of publication at least - current Ms Peter Andre) Elen Rivas. Spanish model Elen was seen looking none-too-pleased about Conservative Party advocate Lampard’s engagement soon after the news broke…

Dr Sparkles loves a wedding,  but with a guest list that is likely to include Bleakley’s colleagues: cow-breast-feeding media junkie Kate Garraway and always-bored Adrian Chiles as well as Lampard’s Ayia Napa camcorder chums Rio Ferdinand and Kieron Dyer she might give it a miss. But huge congrats to the happy couple nonetheless!

2.       Crouch & Crouch

They say that a picture is worth one thousand words, and that seems applicable for (blind) housewives favourite, Mr Peter Crouch, as he holds his baby daughter on a pre-wedding holiday with his family in Sardinia.

In an almost-exact copy of the popular old Athena poster, Spurs striker Crouch cradles his baby daughter Sophia in his arms as he keeps his sensitive skin out of the sunshine. Beautiful.

Dr Sparkles likes a man who isn’t afraid to show off his softer side, although thinks that maybe a pink buggy is pushing it a bit. That said, the Spanish have nicknamed him Pantera Rosa (the Pink Panther), so maybe it is rather fitting. However, the less said about those swimming trunks the better... Good luck to Peter and Abbey with their upcoming wedding and congrats again on the birth of their gorgeous (if she takes after her mother) daughter…

3.       Hart & Rooney

In a completely different turn of events we have this...

Who would have thought that Manchester City goalie Joe Hart would have so much fun frolicking in the sea, let alone with a Rooney on his back?

Flower-shorted Hart put aside any club rivalry with England teammate Wayne Rooney as they holidayed together (along with Rooney’s wife and young son) in Barbados earlier this month. The pair shared piggy-back rides and even entertained onlookers with a bit of a kick-about at the shore side.

Hat-wearing Rooney, who brazenly announced on twitter that he had recently had a hair transplant, had a great time playing in the surf with his mate and, later on, his son.

Dr Sparkles is pleased that the recent media future surrounding Rooney and his apparent off-the-pitch habits has died down to this bromance action, which has also allowed him some quality bonding time with his son. Marvellous stuff!

4.       Hart & Barry

There is nothing that Dr Sparkles likes more between manly footballing men than a good bromance. Not the Lampard-Ferdinand-Dyer kind (check Google for that dear readers if you still have no idea what I’m implying), but the more traditional, close bond friendship that occurs only a few times in a mans life.

And thus, witness Bromance Exhibit A of the most beautiful bromance in the history of Premiership football…

That’s right, gentle readers; your eyes do not deceive you. This is Man City goalie and ex-Shrewsbury town legend Charles Joseph John Hart and midfielder team mate Gareth Barry. Together. On sun loungers. Sharing a tender sun-creaming moment.

Having warmed up his bromance muscles with Rooney on the afore-mentioned Barbados beach, Hart decided to go one step further in the bromance stakes as he and Hastings-born Barry popped off for a bit of sunshine in Las Vegas.

But it wasn’t all just fun in the sun as Bromance Exhibit B illustrates

That’s right, married father-of-two Barry and bachelor Hart continued on with their bromance holiday as they partied into the wee hours of the morning at some of the hottest nightspots in Vegas. And doesn’t it look like they had a good time?

Dr Sparkles loves a good bromance story – be it Brokeback Mountain or The Hangover – and is pleased to see team mates so comfortable together and having so much fun. If team bonding is like this then Manchester City are bound to finish higher than third place in the league next season.

Good day loyal Sparkles fans. After a busy holiday week, involving mostly running, buying a bicycle and eating many, many lunches out I am back with a Top Five (bigger than the usual Top Three, you lucky darlings!) of football news, views and happenings. Once again, there is no one main theme running through joining them all, other than the beautiful game itself. Enjoy...

1. Owl Killer Strikes Again

A sad and dark start to it all this week, with news that Panamanian Luis Moreno has struck again. For those of you who aren't totally up to date with Colombia's League (and why would you be now the Colombian Correspondent has defected to Spain?), Moreno is a defensive player for Deportivo Pereira. In a shocking off the ball incident in March Moreno kicked the owl mascot of the opposing team (Junior Barranquill) off the pitch after it has been hit with the match ball. The owl subsequently died from shock. Moreno was banned for 2 games and has since received death threats from Colombian fans. That said, there have been whispers that Sheffield United are interested in any Owl killer they can get their hands on...

The story regarding owls ends there, but Moreno and his violence came to a head when, during a match against Deportivo Cali, he kicked central defender Pablo Andres Escobar while he lay on the ground after he was fouled. A straight red and 7 match ban was the result of the vicious kick in the stomach from Moreno and Cali won the game 2-1

Dr Sparkles understands how adrenalin and testosterone can make a footballer do silly things in the heat of the moment (hello Wayne Rooney) but thinks that violence against animals and men who are already down is too much...

2. Wayne and Jack

The awe-inspiring story of Jack Marshall (the bravest boy on Twitter - please follow him on @Jack_Marshall_ ) has touched all of our hearts, and that includes the heart of Wayne Rooney, who recently met the brave little boy and gave him a kiss after Jack said "I'd like to kiss you Wayne, I think that you are the best footballer in the world". Gorgeous.

DrSparkles likes it when footballers show their softer side and can think of no-one better than Jack Marshall to show it to. If you are interested in reading more about Jack and his life then visit here: http://www.jacksfund.co.uk/

3. Stevie G in 3D

Are you a Liverpool fan? Concerned about what your favourite midfielder is up to since he was sidelined thanks to his recurrent groin injury (something that DrSparkles has herself suffered, and therefore has much sympathy with)? Well wonder no longer, thanks to the magic of twitter, bezzie mate and (resting?) actor Paul McGrattan, the picture below shows us all exactly what he has been doing...

That's right SportsFans. Mr Gerrard, Liverpool legend, is sat around with some random dude, in matching grey tracksuits, eating grapes and watching movies in 3D. That's a class that money just can't buy.

Tracksuits (such a fashion no-no in grey flannel) and 3D glasses aside (DrSparkles is very much in the Mark Kermode camp as far as 3D goes), DrSparkles is pleased to see that Steven is resting his groin and eating healthy snacks - both of which will speed his recovery. Get well soon!

4. Chelsea players star in 'Another New Shirt'

Football is a lucrative business. The merchandise alone can bring in millions of pounds of revenue for any popular club, and Chelsea FC are wise to this. To be fair many clubs are, but this week Chelsea are in the spotlight for not only bringing out a new shirt, but doing so with a photoshoot/video alongside it. View it below, but do heed the cheese warning now:

5. Beckham, Snoop Dogg and Kiddie Clothes

Final story of the day goes to the unbelievable pairing of top-'soccer' player Beckham and top HipHop artiste Snoop (Doggy) Dogg. These two have been firm friends since the Beckhams moved to LA back in 2007, and they are so close that Snoop even plays his songs to Becks before they are released to the general public. Mr Dogg has also given him some advice on romancing and thinks that David is a great father:

“Whenever I make a record I give him a copy before it’s done. He’s like a brother. I’m gonna show him to rap, for shizzle. He’s my boy. I love soccer just as he loves Hip Hop. Beckham needs to keep doing what he’s doing, he’s a great father...I said that after their 11th anniversary they should have some more kids and romance to some Snoop tunes."

Them being great mates we can just about buy, but who would have thought that they would join forces to design children's clothes?

That's right Sparkle fans, you did read that correctly. David Beckham and Snoop Dogg are currently sat at their drawing boards and designing a range of kids clothes, which could be ready for release as soon as next year.

DrSparkles on board for this upcoming fashion phenomenon. It would seem that David Beckham can do pretty much anything he turns his hand to (and the man can already dress well, so designing is just the next step), and Snoop Dog has already successfully designed a few clothing lines - most recently a  top-selling shoe for Adidas.  In the rapper's words - it's going to be fly