The 7 Most Ridiculous Purchases Ever Made By Premier League Footballers

Footballers often get bad press for frittering their money away on things that are little more than pointless and ostentatious displays of wealth. That being said, for a group of people who earn more in a week than most might earn in a decade, a little bit of lavish spending has to be expected.

Here's a look at the seven most ridiculous purchases ever made by Premier League footballers.

7. Djibril Cisse's Lordship

In May 2005, Liverpool striker Djirbil Cissé bought himself the title of 'Lord of the Manor of Frodsham'. The French international's new title came with the purchase of a £2m mansion in Cheshire and allowed him to refer to himself as 'Lord Cissé' in any correspondence.

The title, which has been held by various families over the centuries, allegedly dates back to 1086 and was recorded in the Domesday Book - the nationwide survey ordered by William the Conqueror

6. William Gallas' Chrome Car

While at Arsenal, William Gallas thought it would be a good idea to splash out a whopping £350,000 on a chrome plated Mercedes SLR McLaren. Apart from the fact that it stood out from a mile away, the shiny finish also looked like it would be a reflective hazard on a sunny day.

The Mercedes had a top speed of 207mph and could accelerate from 0-60mph in less than four seconds. Given such statistics, it is little wonder that 'famous footballer writes off sports car' seems to be a common story.

5. David Beckham's Thrones

When David Beckham married Victoria Adams in 1999, the couple sat before their guests at the reception on matching red and gold thrones. In a further regal twist after their wedding, Posh and Becks proceeded to hire former Royal Household staff to keep their home in order.

In late 2013, when the family sold their famous 'Beckingham Palace' home in favour of a smaller London town house, the famous gold thrones were part of a long list of beloved Beckham items earmarked for a charity auction.

4. Mario Balotelli's Camouflage Collection

During his time at Manchester City, Mario Balotelli was the centre of attention so often that he could probably be forgiven for just wanting to blend in. In November 2012, the enigmatic Italian covered his £160,000 Bentley Continental in an army camouflage vinyl wrap. Unsurprisingly, it received plenty of attention the first day he drove it to City's Carrington training ground.

Another picture then emerged of Balotelli at home wearing a camouflage onesie while posing between the camo car and what looked like a camo-print quad bike. After moving back to Italy, Balotelli reportedly gave the car to new team-mate Urby Emanuelson, who wasted no time in removing the vinyl and restoring the Bentley to its original white.

3. El Hadji Diouf's Gold Car

In 2009, Senegalese forward El-Hadji Diouf, then playing for Blackburn Rovers, showed off a tacky new car for the first time. Diouf's Cadillac Escalade, if not already pricey enough at £53,000, had been given custom additions and was painted shiny gold.

The player's first public appearance in the car saw him illegally park in a loading bay in Manchester for more than an hour whilst getting pizza from a local restaurant. The former Liverpool and Bolton forward was in luck though, as the parking attendant who spotted the infringement was unable to issue a ticket because her hand-held computer stopped working.

2. Obafemi Martins' Financial Advice

Obafemi Martins was allegedly earning £75,000-per-week whilst he was plying his trade for Newcastle United, but that didn't stop the Nigerian forward from regularly getting stuck into his overdraft. It was said that Martins used to withdraw £40,000 for himself to spend at weekends, followed by further withdrawals of more than £25,000 to get him through the rest of the week.

The player was so financially inept that a company named NVA Management offered to step in and take responsibility for his money for a one off fee of £300,000 and a percentage of future earnings. NVA later said it looked after every aspect of the player's life and regularly had to bail him out of the 'red' when he had spent all of his money. Martins was then sued by the management company after it claimed he never actually paid the £300,00 he owed for their service.

1. Stephen Ireland's ... Everything

When it comes to ridiculous purchases, Stephen Ireland leads the way. The former Manchester City academy graduate has built himself a fine reputation for buying things no normal person could ever need. In the past, he has been seen driving a white Range Rover with garish pink trim, a customised Audi R8 in Manchester City colours and spent £260,000 on a custom Bentley for his WAG.

His excess doesn't stop at cars either and his £5m mansion is full of unnecessary lavishness. Ireland, whose home wouldn't look out of place in an episode of 'Footballers' Wives', even has a pool table with his name emblazoned on it and various aquariums dotted around his digs. Sadly, rumours about the player wanting a shark tank under his kitchen floor turned out to be false.