Football can be exciting, as players are bound to feel a surge of adrenaline when they score a goal or help lead their team to victory. However, there are some footballers who love to embrace other sports and games when they are off the pitch, which can help them to relax and unwind after a tough match. Here are the famous football players who love a flutter.
Dietmar Hamann
Dietmar
Hamann was reportedly partial to the odd casino game during his career as a
Liverpool FC midfielder. He often enjoyed playing various slot machines and
betting on cricket games, which he spoke about in his autobiography, The
Didi Man. However, the former German international did state he tended to
wager more than necessary and that he eventually learned to bet an amount he
could afford to lose.
Wayne Rooney
One world-famous footballer who
enjoys the atmosphere of a casino is Wayne Rooney. The former England
international happily celebrated a game against FC Rostov at a Manchester
casino back in 2017, as he reportedly spent an incredible £500,000 on roulette
and blackjack tables when playing for Manchester United FC.
It is, of course, unsurprising
that Rooney was happy to play many rounds of blackjack, as the popular table
game is steeped in history and has
also become widespread online due to the many online suppliers offering
various versions for players to try.
David Beckham
After enjoying a rather
successful career as a midfielder at the likes of Manchester United and Real
Madrid, David Beckham shown a great interest in various games. While the figure
he has spent is unknown, he reportedly frequented many of Las Vegas’s finest
casinos to make big bets.
In fact, he loved the pastime so
much that he has appeared in advertisements for Singapore and Macau casinos,
with the aim of increasing tourism to the cities due to his international fame
and love for casinos.
Michael Owen
One football player who has been
rather vocal
about his love of betting is Michael Owen. The former Liverpool FC and
Manchester United striker once said, “I still enjoy the buzz of backing a
winner”, and stated he places an average of two or three bets on horse racing
each day. However, he did express it used to be much more before he had a
family.
The former footballer, who hails
from Chester, England, even owns a few racehorses himself, including Brown
Panther who won the Goodwood Cup in 2013 and the Dubai Gold Cup in 2015. The
England international’s pride and joy has also enjoyed high profile wins at the
Irish St Ledger and the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Neymar
When Neymar isn’t scoring superb
goals for PSG, he is often seen at various major poker events. In fact, the
talented Brazilian finished sixth out of 280 people at a tournament in 2018,
which proves he could probably turn the hobby into a career if he ever chose to
hang up his football boots. When he wasn’t donning his poker face, the football
superstar was more than happy to pose for photographs with fans and sign
autographs in between poker hands.
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon is arguably one
of the finest goalkeepers in the world, having blocked multiple attempts from
some of the most talented footballers in the sport. However, he is interested
in more than just football when off the pitch.
It is likely Neymar and
Gianluigi Buffon had much to talk about in the locker room, as the PSG
goalkeeper is also rather fond of a card game or two and is often seen at major
international events.
So, the same way Jamie Redknapp
loves a round of golf and Joe Hart enjoys playing cricket in their spare time,
there are some footballers who would rather spend their days enjoying a flutter
or even investing in the industry.s
*This article was
written and produced for publishing on www.latetacklemagazine.com by Ojo Olayiwola of Football Weeks and Arsenal Blogs.
