Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe reportedly took Big Brother contestant Gina Rio on a string of dates before she joined the Channel 5 show.

The England international, who has had relationships with a number of women in the public eye, is believed to have spent time with the 23-year-old prior to her arrival in the Big Brother house.

It is understood that Defoe visited Rio at her North London home numerous times while trying to keep a low profile, according to the Daily Star.

Defoe previously dated singer Alexandra Burke and Danielle O'Hara.