Wendy Jacobs does not expect flowers on Valentine's Day.

For most wedding anniversaries and Valentine's Days, her husband is home late after coaching duties in Johor.

Wendy Jacobs said Singapore's football legend Fandi Ahmad is "lacking in the romance department because there haven't been presents for a while".

But the 38-year-old former model quickly added their relationship is still going strong.

"The only problem I have is, I'm always the one getting the presents," she said, with a mock scowl.

"I would be buying presents for the family and he would be like, 'Go get something nice for yourself'."

To which Singapore's favourite son, now a 50-year-old coach of Johor Darul Takzim, hit back, albeit a little out of earshot: "I also don't know what you like. And I need to work, lah."

The couple, widely regarded as the first family of Singapore football and the closest thing to the local version of the Beckhams, are into their 17th year of marriage.

And from the way they playfully took potshots at each other, affectionately calling the other "baby", there was a feeling that there would be many more chapters to add to the episodes of romance, financial woes, illness and recovery in their eventful love story that began in May 1995.

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