Mutu and the model

He is the £15.8 million Chelsea superstar, the boy from small-town Romania who rose to the top of his profession and who has just survived a bruising, public divorce.

But Adrian Mutu has a new love, and today he revealed her identity. The new woman on the arm of the Stamford Bridge striker is Moran Atias, the 22-year-old model, TV presenter, former Miss Israel and one of the faces of Versace.

In a contemporary twist to an old story - wealthy footballer dates glamorous model - Mutu, 24, revealed the couple got together after she made the first move, sending an anonymous, enigmatic text message to his mobile phone.

Speaking for the first time about Atias, Mutu said: "Our relationship is new. I don't know what will happen. What's important is that we are both happy at the moment."

His new love comes after a turbulent five-month legal battle for the Romanian international. He said the break-up with his wife of three years, Alexandra, had been "difficult and complicated".

Mutu, who joined Roman Abramovich's Chelsea this summer from Parma, was granted a divorce less than a month ago. He agreed to give Alexandra their house in Bucharest, a BMW X5 car and £1,780 a month to help her look after their one-year-old son, Mario.

But today the talk was only of Atias, who reportedly counts Formula One team boss Flavio Briatore among her exes.

Mutu described how, several months ago, he received a mystery text message. "It was rather bland, something like: 'I am glad that you managed to get through the last few months of your life'," he said. "It stayed in my mind."

Another message arrived and Mutu phoned the number. "I wanted to know who this person was and I investigated. I finally found out it was Moran," he said. "I knew her from Italian TV and we agreed to meet. She's a wonderful girl. We understand each other perfectly."

Atias was equally lovestruck. She described Mutu as "a real gentleman" and said: "I like everything about him, but, more than anything, his smile."

Atias has survived one potentially perilous encounter - meeting Mutu's mother, Rodica, who approved.

But perhaps Atias should heed her new man's priorities. "As a child I took my ball to bed with me and she's my one true love," he revealed recently. "She's honest and has never betrayed me."