No, not Messi or Ronaldo: the man in question now plays in Thailand
On the face of it, Chonburi seem an unremarkable club, spending most of their time bobbing about in mid-table in Thailand’s top flight. But for the past two seasons, they’ve reportedly had the world’s richest footballer on their books.
While Lionel Messi’s net worth is about £500 million and Cristiano Ronaldo a paltry £400m, Chonburi midfielder Faiq Bolkiah has been described as being worth closer to £16bn. How? Well, he’s the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, one of the globe’s wealthiest royals.
Bolkiah was actually born in LA, before relocating to England – he was educated at Bradfield College in Berkshire, beginning his football career with the mighty Woolton Hill Argyle, then moving on to AFC Newbury as a junior. “He became a fantastic goalscorer with amazing pace,” said former coach Paul Morgan.
In 2009, he was snapped up by Southampton’s academy – sadly, the winger didn’t become the next Gareth Bale, heading off for trials with Reading and Arsenal, prior to joining Chelsea aged 16. There, he featured for the under-18s and received advice from boss Jose Mourinho. “When our youth team played the senior team, he pointed out that sometimes I’d be in the wrong position,” said Bolkiah.
He soon switched position all the way to Leicester, signing a three-year pro deal via a trial at Stoke – his family were known to be friends of the Foxes’ Thai owners and the British royal family.
He appeared for the Premier League out
