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.
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