MEGHAN BUSTED TEXTING FOOTBALLER!

Her husband is reeling amid claims the duchess was hunting for a man on the soccer pitch

Long before Meghan Markle walked down the aisle with Prince Harry, she almost became royalty of a different kind a soccer WAG!

In news that has reportedly left Harry, 39, red-faced, a story about Meghan's secret messages to British football star Ashley Cole has resurfaced amid claims that Meghan, 42, was chasing the notorious bad boy for a date at the same time she was looking to launch her career.

"Harry is in total denial about this," reports a close source. "Part of him won't be able to process the fact that she was on the hunt for a 'big fish' when she met him, but he won't be coping well at all to know that even footballers like Ashley who allegedly cheated on his wife Cheryl - would have been in the picture.

"This is truly humiliating for Harry because he has always struggled with stories of Meghan's past. He'll be absolutely crushed by this and more than a little jealous.