Using their footballing skills on the field, numerous local and international footballers gained a lot of riches during their active careers. Here’s a look at several high-profile celebrities who squandered their fortunes on anything from booze to betting to football academies. While some was as a result of disolved marriage.
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1. David James
David James is an English goalkeeper who has earned a lot of money while playing for a number of Premier League clubs. In 2014, James declared bankruptcy. It all began in 2005, when David divorced his wife and lost a large portion of his assets. James’ financial status deteriorated over time, until he lost his last dime in 2014.
2. Emmanuel Eboue
When news of Emmanuel Eboue’s arrest was released by prominent British media, football fans were filled with sadness for the former Arsenal fullback. No one believed the sad narrative until Eboue himself gave an interview to The Mirror in which he explained in detail how his divorce from his Belgian wife, Aurélie, as well as a couple of catastrophic business investments had left him bankrupt.
3. Wilson Oruma
Wilson Oruma, a former Super Eagles midfielder, wass believed to be suffering from mental illness six years after he was allegedly duped by a cleric. Oruma was a Nigerian footballer who amassed a fortune in the round leather game, but he was allegedly tricked by a pastor and a group of fake oil business people.
4. Eric Djemba-Djemba
Footballer from Cameroon who played for Manchester United. Manchester United purchased Djemba-Djemba after he built a name for himself in Nantes. The Cameroonian’s career, however, was short-lived, and he went bankrupt shortly after. Djemba-Djemba, like many African footballers, squandered a lot of money on frivolous items. Because he had no control over the funds, he ran out of money towards the conclusion of his career.
5. Paul Gascoigne
Despite owing HMRC £42,000 in unpaid taxes, Gazza managed to avoid bankruptcy in 2016. However, the England star went through a difficult period in which he was said to be in debt to the tune of £200,000. Gascoigne has battled depression and substance misuse in the past.
6. Celestine Babayaro
The Nigerian footballer is best known for his Chelsea performances, but he also played for Anderlecht and Newcastle United. Celestine was paid £ 35,000 per week, which was a good wage at the time. Babayaro, however, only survived three years after his career ended, and he became bankrupt. The cause is excessive spending and inadequate financial management.
7. Keith Gillespie
The footballer lost more than £7.2 million due to a gambling addiction. The Man United product was declared broke in 2010 at the age of 35, after a career that saw him lead Newcastle United to the Champions League and play 80 times for Northern Ireland. “I lost an awful lot of money through gambling over the years, but I also lost money on property and became involved in a film scheme like a lot of footballers did,” Keith Gillespie revealed in an interview with the Guardian.
8. Paul Merson
The Arsenal legend blew a £7 million fortune on gambling, drink, and drugs. Although he considered quitting last summer, the former midfielder has recovered and now works as a regular pundit for Sky Sports. He once considered breaking his fingers to prevent him from calling the bookies. Merson went bankrupt after cashing up his £800,000 pension to fund a gambling binge.
9. Asamoah Gyan
The former Sunderland striker used to drive a Rolls-Royce but was said to have only £600 in his bank account in 2018, leaving him unable to support his family. Gyan, who was reputedly making £227,000 per week at Shanghai SIPG, appears to have lost all of his money due to a family feud. The 35-year-old former Premier League player is now playing for Legon Cities in his country.
10. John Arne Riise
Riise, a Norwegian left-back, was declared bankrupt two years after winning the Champions League with Liverpool. At the time, the defender was just 26 years old and earning £50,000 a week at Anfield. However, Riise was declared bankrupt after an unpaid debt of roughly £100,000 was purportedly tied to an alleged £3 million fraud probe in Norway.
11. Ronaldinho
In 2018, Brazil’s iconic star was said to have only £5 in his bank account, while incurring debts of up to £1.75 million. Ronaldinho was fined a lot of money for building illegally in a protected region in Brazil. Despite remortgaging his home, the former Barcelona star was unable to pay his obligations, prompting a judge to order the seizure of Ronaldinho’s passport. To add insult to injury, Ronaldinho spent Five Months in a Paraguayan prison for reportedly attempting to enter the nation with false passports.
12. Brad Friedel
The former Tottenham and Aston Villa goalkeeper’s ambitious aspirations to construct a football academy in the United States blew up in his face. According to reports, the American owing £5 million, and his £260,000 home was repossessed. Despite the fact that the current head coach of the MLS franchise New England Revolution was earning £50,000 per week at Villa Park at the time.
