Eight players who were rich before they were pro footballers including Man Utd and Barcelona legends

It is well-documented that footballers at the top level can earn a huge amount of money during their careers.

Currently, the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are four of the highest-paid players in world football.

Some players grew up struggling financially and had to use football to support their families. However, some did not.

Here are eight players who had a decent upbringing before becoming a professional footballer.

Robin van Persie

The former Arsenal and Manchester United man will go down as one of the finest strikers to ever play in the Premier League.

Van Persie actually grew up in a household full of artists, his mother was a painter and a jewellery designer.

Meanwhile, his father was a renowned sculptor. Speaking about his son, Bob Van Persie said: “We both work very hard to achieve what we want, you know. And I think that’s important too. It doesn’t come by itself. He has had to work hard."

Gerard Pique

Defender Pique won everything during his career with Barcelona and Spain, including the Champions League, World Cup and Euro.

The Spaniard’s father, Joan, is a lawyer and a businessman, while his mother, Montserrat, worked as a director at a hospital in Barcelona.

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Hugo Lloris

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris was born in Nice, in the South of France and enjoyed an upper-class upbringing.

Lloris has an investment banker father named Luc and his mother, Marie, is a successful attorney.

Patrick Bamford

Leeds United striker Bamford is actually a distant relative of Joseph Bamford, the founder of JCB.

The Englishman was privately educated at Nottingham High School and even rejected a chance to go to Harvard University in the United States.

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Mario Gotze

The former Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund star’s father, Jurgen, is a professor and worked at the Dortmund University of Technology and Yale University.

As reported by The Mirror, it has previously been suggested that his father’s money played a part in Gotze’s rise to stardom at Dortmund.

Will Hughes

Perhaps one you didn’t expect? The Crystal Palace man went to the Repton School, which is a private, boarding and day school in Derbyshire.

The likes of Jeremy Clarkson, Roald Dahl and Basil Rathbone also attended the same school as Hughes.

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Gianluca Vialli

The late Vialli was born into a wealthy family having been raised in the 60-room Castello di Belgioioso in Cremona.

It was reported that Vialli was the son of a self-made millionaire. In January 2023, Vialli passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with cancer.

Andrea Pirlo

The Italian midfield maestro’s father founded a steel company in Brescia back in 1982 and Pirlo reportedly has a stake in the business.

It has been suggested that Pirlo also runs his own vineyard.