Emotional Vinnie Jones says late wife Tanya ‘saved him from prison fate’

Vinnie Jones has lifted the lid on the incredible impact his late wife Tanya has had on his life.

The heartbroken football legend has revealed that without her love, he may have ended up behind bars.

Vinnie, 55, lost his beloved other half to cancer last year when she was just 53 years old.

Opening up about their unbreakable bond on Heart Breakfast on Monday morning, the movie star told hosts Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston that Tanya ‘saved him’ in more ways than he could mention.

The Snatch star admitted that when Tanya suffered from heart failure and required a heart transplant after the birth of their daughter Kaley in 1986, she ‘came back to life’ in order to save him.

“Tanya was an angel. She was a fantastic homemaker and she looked after everyone.

“Tanya was saved to save me.”

Vinnie, who met Tanya when he was a teenager, insisted that if it wasn’t for her guidance, he may have gone down a very different path in life – one that may have ended with him being thrown behind bars.

The former Leeds United star explained: “I recently had a conversation with Piers Morgan where I said that I could have ended up in prison if it wasn’t for Tanya.

“And I believe that could have been the case without her.”

After experiencing the greatest loss of his life, Vinnie has now turned his grief into something positive which he hopes will help thousands of people who are on the same journey as him.

He is now publishing a book, entitled Lost Without You, which sees him detail his loss and struggles with grief.

The heartbroken widow hopes that his lessons in loss will encourage other men to open up about their mental health and potentially see a therapist.

Speaking to The Sun recently, Vinnie detailed how much of a struggle it has been since losing the love of his life, and admitted that he now sees a therapist three times a week to help him cope.

Vinnie said: “I’m seeing someone three times a week. I thought I was doing OK, and then the anniversaries of Tans’s death and our daughter Kaley’s birthday were approaching and it was like somebody just drained the life out of me.

“It feels like you’re pushing a truck with no petrol from here to Manchester uphill on the M1.”

Vinnie and Tanya had first met when he took a drink from her when he was 13 and she was 12.