Charlie Morgan, the Swansea ball boy who was kicked by Eden Hazard, sits ahead of Spurs and England striker Harry Kane in a list of the richest people under 35 in the UK.
On January 23rd 2013, during a Capital One Cup semi-final clash between Chelsea and Swansea, an incident involving Morgan became one of the most talked about football sagas in recent memory.
Swansea were leading 2-0 on aggregate after a smash-and-grab win at Stamford Bridge two weeks prior, and headlines of Michael Laudrup's side reaching a first major Cup final in their 100 year history were being drafted.
But that would all change in the 80th minute, when the ball would go out for a goal kick.
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Chelsea winger Eden Hazard was eager for a quick restart but instead of retrieving the ball, he inadvertently kicked Charlie Morgan, who proceeded to roll around in pain, holding his ribs as the crowd voiced their displeasure.
Moments later, Hazard was given a straight red card by referee Chris Foy and the rest is well, history.
Now, ten years on from that incident, Morgan is the founder of premium, gold-filtered vodka brand AU Vodka.
The 27-year-old, who is the son of a hotelier, worked with his best friend from school, Jackson Quinn, to get the product off the ground and since, they've grown to 52 employees at their headquarters in Swansea.
In 2022, Au Vodka reported $53 million in revenue with a $15 million profit.
On Friday morning, The Sunday Times published their 35 richest people under 35 in the UK list, with former ball boy Morgan being placed in joint 27th.
They wrote: "AU Vodka’s blingy gold bottles are a fixture in many bars and clubs but ten years ago Morgan, 27, was known for being the 17-year-old ball boy kicked in the ribs by the Chelsea footballer Eden Hazard.
"Morgan was determined that the incident should not define his life. Three years later the hotelier’s son launched a vodka brand with his school friend Jackson Quinn. AU’s sales shot up to £43.9 million in 2021-22."
The entrepreneur is ahead of former One Direction singer-songwriter Niall Horan, who is said to be worth £54 million, and England international Harry Kane.
Kane, who is regarded as of the Premier League's biggest stars, comes in at 32nd in the list.
"The Tottenham and England star, 29, has ploughed some of his £200,000-a-week pay into bricks and mortar — assembling a £13 million portfolio — and invested in a low-calorie doughnut start-up. He rents his home for £800,000 a year," the Times write.
You can check out the list, featuring Raheem Sterling, Gareth Bale and Rory McIlroy, in full here.
Topics: Eden Hazard, Chelsea, Swansea, Harry Kane
Jack Kenmare