MAFS UK groom Steven opens up about "brutal attack" that ended his football career

He said the attack left him in a 'horrible place'.

22 September 2025, 20:55 | Updated: 22 September 2025, 21:08

MAFS UK's Steven has spoken about how the attack meant he had to change profession. Picture: E4 / Instagram

By Abbie Reynolds

Married at First Sight UK's Steven Springett has spoken about the brutal attack he suffered in his early 20s.

Loading audio...

This year, 34-year-old dad of two Steven Springett is on Married at First Sight UK. During his reality TV stint, he married dentist Neelima Patel.

Steven now works as an investment banker but opened up about his past as a professional footballer. Steven has revealed that it was a brutal attack outside of a club that ended his football career.

While he said he had dreams of getting to the highest level of football, he said the incident destroyed his confidence. Here's what he revealed about the life-changing event.

Read more:MAFS UK's Davide and Grace spark sexism row over controversial "pink jobs" comment

MAFS UK's Steven used to be a footballer. Picture: Instagram

What happened to MAFS UK's Steven?

In his early 20s, Steven was attacked by nine men. Speaking to the Daily Mail he recalled being surrounded and "turned into different punches" from every direction.

He shared: "I fractured my right cheekbone, I've damaged my teeth, I've got a few scars on my chin. I shattered my nose, so I've still got a slight bend in there, but I had reconstructive surgery."

A decade later, Steven has undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries to repair some of the physical impacts of the attack but he's shared that the mental struggles were more difficult to overcome.

MAFS UK groom Steven shared images from after his attack. Picture: E4

Steven explained: "For the first six months I was in a horrible place, because I didn't want to go out. I had to wear a face mask. When [the scars] started healing, they went purple, and I could see people looking at me thinking, 'Urgh, put the mask back on'.

"But you can only hide behind a mask for so long. I had to change my profession… I was in my early 20s, and being a young adolescent male, it's a horrible age."

He added: "It's never a nice age, but that's the age where you tend to find yourself, especially in pro football, but also in life - as a man."

The now 34-year-old had played professionally for Ebbsfleet United Football Club.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steven Springett | MAFS UK 25 (@stevespringett4)

After struggling for three years, Steven has said his family helped him out of his 'rut'. He went on: "The scars weren't going to vanish - I'm not Harry Potter... I can't just magic them away. It was more like, 'I can't control how they are going to heal'.

"And I've taken that into my life - I can only control what I can do, and if it's out of my control, why stress about it?"

He proudly added: "My positive outlook, why I am the way I am today, the way I see the world… is because of that attack. At first it was like I've got scars on my face people are going to see me a little bit differently.

"But now I see them as the reason I am who I am. It's character building. It shows that I've won, and [the attackers] lost."

Steven is on MAFS UK 2025 — Steven said after the attack he wouldn't have the confidence to go on MAFS. Picture: E4

Steven explained how he thinks he was targeted due to a minor feud that started back in college, as he said one of the men who attacked him had previously thrown forks at him across their canteen.

He said that with the same guy there had been verbal altercation which started over a girl two years before the attack. The MAFS groom admitted: "I said a few things and a few people laughed, which he obviously didn't like. Then two years later he remembered my face.

"It was a two-year vendetta - I must have cut him deep verbally for that to happen. But I put myself in that situation, when really, I shouldn't have." One perpetrator was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Steven on his MAFS wedding day. Picture: E4

Now, many years after the incident, Steven has said: "I'm massive on the mental health side of things and people need to check in with themselves from time to time.

"You can talk about past traumas - we've all got them. Just use that as a positive going forward - use that as your fuel, basically. I'm a confident speaker now."