Rod Stewart proudly watches on as ice hockey star son Liam gets married in Croatia as he joins glamorous wife Penny Lancaster and his ex Rachel Hunter at lavish ceremony

Rod Stewart was a proud father of the groom as he attended his son Liam's wedding Nicole Artukovich in Croatia on Friday. 

The singer, 79, beamed as he watched on alongside his glamorous wife Penny Lancaster, 53, who looked incredible in a lilac satin gown with a thigh high split. 

Ice hockey star Liam, 28, got engaged to project manager Nicole last July two months before welcoming their first child together, a son called Louie. 

His mother is Kiwi model Rachel Hunter, Sir Rod's second wife, who looked incredible in a teal gown at the wedding. 

Rod Stewart was a proud father of the groom as he attended his son Liam's wedding Nicole Artukovich in Croatia on Friday alongside his glamorous wife Penny Lancaster 

Ice hockey star Liam, 28, got engaged to project manager Nicole last July. His mother is Kiwi model Rachel Hunter, Sir Rod's second wife, who looked incredible in a teal gown 

Also in attendance were Rod's youngest sons Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 13 - his kids with wife Penny. 

Also in Rod's vast brood is Sean, 43, and Kimberly, 44, with ex-wife Alana Stewart; daughter Ruby, 36, with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg; Liam’s sister Renee, 31; and Sarah, 59.

While it would have been little surprise had the son of one of the biggest rock stars in the world pursued his father’s great sporting passion of football, instead Liam opted for ice hockey. 

‘I love it,’ said Liam, talking exclusively to Sportsmail about his role as one of Coventry’s defensive forwards and penalty killer.

‘I get more satisfaction out of blocking shots than I do scoring a goal for some reason.

‘I don’t know why, but my coach in the juniors gave me a lot of praise for doing that so I took that under my wing and ran with it. I’ve broken my foot a couple of times and last year I shattered my ankle, but it’s all part of being a hockey player. It’s all healed now and I’m ready to go.

‘I don’t mind grinding it out in the corners and maybe a fight here and there. I won’t be the guy who goes out and instigates it but if something happens I’m fine.’

Ice hockey star Liam, 28, got engaged to project manager Nicole last July two months before welcoming their first child together, a son called Louie 

That means Rod and Rachel’s boy will throw his body in the way of pucks travelling at close to 100mph to stop his team conceding goals.

‘You never worry about injury because in that split second when you’re going down you don’t think about it, and when it hits you it’s quite the feeling you get,’ smiled Stewart, who turns 22 on Monday. ‘There’s no fear.’

So how did the son of a singer, who is as big as ever at 71, get to be a professional ice hockey player and what does dad think about it?

‘He’s supportive but he would have loved it more if I’d played football because that’s his sport,’ admitted Liam. 

‘He loves coming to watch me play, he enjoys watching the sport, but I’m not sure he’s always been sure of the rules. I’ve said to him, “All you have to worry about is when we score, Dad.” 

'I’m sure he will come to watch me at Coventry but he’s got a UK tour and that takes in gigs at Belfast and Sheffield so he might see me at away games.’

Liam caught the ice hockey bug when his parents took him to see one of the biggest clubs in the world — the New York Rangers — when he was four.

‘I played football up until I was 14 but I’d been at a New York Rangers game when I was younger and it had made a big impact on me,’ said Liam. ‘I said to my mum, “This is what I want to play”.

‘As soon as my junior side Spokane came calling I thought it might be a sport where I could go somewhere and here I am playing professionally.’