London, Jun 7 (IANS): British footballer Ashley Cole is reportedly dating a lookalike of his estranged wife Cheryl Cole.

According to reports, just days after Cheryl filed for divorce, Ashley and former lap dancer Sarah Purnell have been exchanging text messages every day and speaking on the phone on regular basis.

In a special farewell before Ashley left for the football World Cup in South Africa, Purnell visited him at his London flat, his neighbours said.

And Purnell's friend said she is "absolutely over the moon" about her relationship with the footballer.

"She spent the first night at his flat and it was all very romantic. Ashley was a perfect gentleman and treated her like a princess. She hasn't got a bad word to say about him and has defended him when people have tried to have a go about Cheryl or the end of his marriage," the friend said.

Since the meeting, Ashley has been quite open about the reason behind his attraction - the dancer looks like Cheryl, reports dailymail.co.uk.

"He even told her she looks the spitting image of Cheryl, but Sarah is definitely her own person. She's no wannabe," the friend said.

According to her Twitter page, she is frequently compared to the Girls Aloud singer.