Football is, no doubt, the highest paying sport in the world, and players earn massive through the contract deals and endorsements. However, there are some footballers who got bankrupt as they have spent all their money on luxuries and expenses. Moreover, many other reasons are also there, like they have divorced their spouse and are addicted to gambling.
The history book is filled with a large number of such incidents. Here are the complete details about the top 10 most popular footballers who got bankrupt after wasting their money and taking debt from the banks.
Most Popular Footballers Who Got Bankrupt
5 – Royston Drenthe
- Status: Retired
- Net Worth: $1.5 million
- Debt: $375k
Having played for various clubs in his career, Royston is still active and has recently signed a contract deal with Real Murcia. He is playing as a left-winger and has also shown brilliant performance as left-back. Royston has faced the debt issue as he quit the football career after spending a great time with Real Madrid and started singing. He got bankrupt for the amount of $375k.
4 – Paul Merson
- Status: Retired
- Net Worth: $13 million
- Debt: $980k
Paul Merson, former professional English footballer, best known for his career with the top tier English Club Arsenal. He has played as an attacking midfielder in his career and was very famous for his impressive ball shooting. In his career, he earned a great deal of money, but the habit of betting and gambling along with woman addiction has caused him to lose his $30 million and go into debt of $980k. Now, he has recovered from all those bad habits and has a current net worth of $13 million.
3 – Emmanuel Eboue
- Status: Retired
- Net Worth: $3.5 million
- Debt: $1 million
The Ivorian former professional footballer has also spent a leading career in football and has also played in the Premier League. Moreover, ludicrous contracts with several top-tier clubs of the big leagues have earned him a great amount of money. But Eboue went bankrupt as he had to pay the debt of $1 million for different issues. Still, he is facing issues, but has recovered his loss to a great extent.
2 – David James
- Status: Retired
- Net Worth: $15 million
- Debt: $2 million
James is one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football and has been a part of so many big clubs including Liverpool and Manchester City. The former English footballer has earned $30 million during his career. But surprisingly, he also got bankrupt for $2 million as he lost the money in the divorce and luxury lifestyle. Now, he is in much better financial state with a net worth of $15 million as he has made a solid amount of money from modeling.
1 – Brad Friedel
- Status: Retired
- Net Worth: $850k
- Debt: $6 million
Brad Friedel is one of the biggest names of Premier League history as he holds the record of 310 consecutive appearances in the matches. Friedel has played magnificently in his career and represented the United States in 3 FIFA World Cups. Although having expensive contract deals with clubs, he still went under the debt of a whopping $6 million. But now, he is working as a coach and came out of the financial crisis.
Top 10 Most Popular Footballers Who Got Bankrupt
| #No. | Footballers | Net Worth | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brad Friedel | $850k | $6 million |
| 2 | David James | $15 million | $2 million |
| 3 | Emmanuel Eboue | $3.5million | $1 million |
| 4 | Paul Merson | $13 million | $980k |
| 5 | Royston Drenthe | $1.5 million | $375k |
| 6 | Lee Hendrie | $1.5 million | $250k |
| 7 | Paul Gascoigne | $100k | $250k |
| 8 | Keith Gillepsie | $3.72 million | $170k |
| 9 | Eric Djemba-Djemba | $3 million | $150k |
| 10 | John Arne Riise | $1.5 million | $125k |
All these are the details about the top 10 most popular footballers who went bankrupt due to debts. The numbers given in the table are estimated as the official details are not disclosed due to court orders. If there is any change, we will make them available. Stay tuned for more updates!
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