Former Wimbledon and Wales footballing hardman Vinnie Jones knows a thing or two about performing for the cameras.

Ever since his surprisingly polished turn in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as a menacing London gangster, the ex-player has played a string of starring roles in a number of films and adverts.

But now the star, 50, has been snapped up by British mobile phone operator Three to front its new Feel At Home roaming service ad campaign – which places Spain firmly in its sights…A new video shows Vinnie handing out a few impromptu Spanish lessons in his own inimitable dialect. Wearing a garish summery shirt, Jones is featured overlaid across a series of Spanish images, ranging from packed sunny beaches to tumbling fountains and even the Spanish flag.

The aim? To help holidaymakers visiting Spain get more out of their holiday, which is a rather tenuous link to Three’s very own service, which allows its customers to use their mobile phones for calls, texts and internet surfing at no extra cost while visiting Spain.

Some of Vinnie Jones’s pithy phrases may indeed prove useful to you if you are thinking of visiting Spain this summer and wish to pick up some of the lingo. Some, on the other hand, are shameless plugs for Three’s service (quite literally, in fact, when Vinnie says “where can I charge up my phone”.

In commenting on the video, Vinnie said: “I’ve holidayed in Spain for years and you can’t beat it for sun, sea, sand and a few sangrias. Along the way I’ve managed to pick up a bit of the local lingo so it’s great to be able to share some with my fellow Brits and help them out as they prepare for their holiday.”