14 January 2023 , 08:00
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Chelsea have had a plethora of talented youngsters on their books in recent years - but perhaps none have been as intriguing as Faiq Bolkiah.
After all, Bolkiah, 24, has been dubbed the 'world's richest footballer' and is estimated to have a net worth of around £13billion. The former Blues youngster, who is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, is currently plying his trade in Thailand for Chonburi FC - a long way from where he was brought up in the UK.
But while Bolkiah has forged his own path overseas in Asia, had things worked out differently, the winger could have been starring at Stamford Bridge after catching the eye as a teenager.
Bolkiah was born in Los Angeles but grew up in England, where he was sent to Thorngrove Prep School in Berkshire to receive the best education possible. Away from school, he played football regularly and was inspired by Ronaldo. Bolkiah dreamed of playing professionally - and after he was spotted playing football as a teenager, he ended up in the academy at Southampton at the age of 13 after impressing scouts and scoring "a lot of goals every game" he played in locally.
It was during his time at the Saints that he landed his big break at Chelsea - albeit after a thumping defeat. Speaking to Mainstand, Bolkiah, who was still a teenager at the time, recalls: "At the time, Chelsea's age group (U-16) was very, very strong. They won everything. It was the age group with Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, and a lot of top players.
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"As a young player in England, everyone looked up to the players at Chelsea because they were the best. They won every youth tournament. We went there and lost 8-0 or 9-0, but it was one of the best games I've ever played in my life by far. I don't know how but even though we lost a lot, I showed a lot of what I could do."
Bolkiah impressed enough to earn a contract - but unfortunately, he was yet another highly-rated youngster who was lost in the churn of the club's Cobham base. The Blues have become renowned for hoovering up and hoarding top talent; the majority of whom never go on to play for the club's first team.
Bolkiah now plays in Thailand for Chonduri FC (Peter Van der Klooster/Getty)After rubbing shoulders with a host of future first-team stars, Bolkiah eventually made the decision to leave the Londoners. An "amazing" spell at Leicester followed before he was lured to Portugal by Maritimo with the promise of regular football. In hindsight, it's a move that Bolkiah regrets.
"Maritimo said to me, 'You'll come here, you'll play,' so I said, 'I just want to be here for a year. The main thing for me is I want to play.' Obviously, that didn't happen.
"I definitely regret moving there. I feel like there was a lot of politics to do with it as well, why Maritimo wanted me. I didn't feel like they were being fully honest."
Since then, Bolkiah has rebuilt his career after venturing to a surprise destination: Thailand. Bolkiah himself admits that he never foresaw himself playing in Asia, but the winger has caught the eye for five-time champions Chonburi and is finally enjoying his football again after numerous false dawns and broken promises.
"I never had (the thought) in my head that I would come to Asia. I sat down with my agent, my advisors and my family members, and I just said to them, 'I can't risk going to another club, them signing me for reasons outside of football, and not playing, wasting another year or two years.'
Bolkiah had a brief stint at Leicester City before moving overseas (Plumb Images/Leicester City)"I said, 'I don't care about anything else. I just want to play week in, week out and show people how I can play.' Everyone agreed."
Although leaving Europe behind has helped him to rescue his career, Bolkiah has refused to shut the door on a return one day. But he concedes that he is more than content with how things have panned out after finding his feet in Thailand.
And there was a time when he couldn't see that happening after his disastrous stint in Portugal. He adds: "With the clubs in Europe, and definitely at the last club I was at in Portugal, it had [an effect]. I've seen it as clear as day. That's why I made the decision that I wanted to play and that's the most important thing. I don't care about anything else.
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"I want to show everyone that I love football. This is what I've wanted to do since I was young. I've been playing it since I was young at a good level. I just want to show everyone my qualities and what I can do, that's it.
"Whatever people write, I would say I'm a very simple person. I'm a very scheduled person. I have the same schedule every day. I like to focus on football. There's definitely a balance in my life. I do like to enjoy myself as well. Obviously, you play, and you need balance.
"I'm just focused on my football at the moment. That's the most important thing. I'm excited for this season. I feel good right now and hopefully, I can have a good season."