The footballer believed to be the richest in the world went to school in England when he was a teenager – and one of Englahd’s cricketers was educated at the same place
Brunei international footballer Faiq Bolkiah, thought to be the richest player in the world, went to £58,000-per-year Bradfield College when he grew up in England. He isn’t the only professional athlete to pass through the doors of the Berkshire private school, though.
Born in the United States and raised in the UK, Bolkiah is a member of the Bruneian royal family and has previously been estimated to have a net worth of around $20billion (£15.1bn). He turned 27 earlier this year, making him the same age as England cricketer – and fellow Bradfield old boy – Gus Atkinson.
Atkinson, as far as Mirror Sport knows, isn’t a multi-billionaire. However, when he made his first class debut for Surrey in 2020, he was described by the school as an ‘Old Bradfieldian’.
He was one of four alumni mentioned in a round-up of professional cricketers at the time, along with Lauren Bell, Harry Came and Ryan Higgins. Bell is also an England international, having played test, ODI and T20 cricket for the senior women’s team.
Bolkiah and Atkinson might not have seen a great deal of one another at school. The royal spent time in the academies of Southampton, Chelsea and Leicester, while Atkinson’s schooldays saw him get minutes for Surrey’s second XI while still in his teens.
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While he never made it as a Premier League footballer, Bolkiah played for Leicester’s Under-19 side in the UEFA Youth League in 2016. He played alongside the likes of future top-flight stars Harvey Barnes and Calvin Bassey, while opponents included Portugal keeper Diogo Costa and Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot when the Foxes took on Porto.
Attacking midfielder Bolkiah moved to Portugal himself in 2020, spending a year with Maritimo, before continuing his career in Thailand. He spent the last two seasons at Ratchaburi, returning to action in February after a year out with a broken leg.
Atkinson, like his fellow Old Bradfieldian, has carved out a career as an international athlete. His first England opportunity came in 2023, with his test debut arriving the following year.
He was part of England’s squad for the fifth test against India at the Oval, taking 5-33 in the tourists’ first innings. He took three more wickets in the second innings, while contributing 11 and 17 with the bat, but England suffered a narrow six-run defeat to tie the series 2-2.
The 27-year-old’s form leaves him in contention to play a big part in the winter Ashes series in Australia. Speaking after the Oval test, captain Ben Stokes said: “The way in which we’ve been able to perform throughout the series, I’m looking forward to getting to Australia and doing what we want to go out there and do.”
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