UK football's ultimate all-star line-up…and that's just the owners

A new season of the English Premier League kicks off this weekend. British football is big business – in fact, the five richest clubs are now worth a combined $24 billion.

The game attracts huge investment because it's full of stars. But sometimes, the investors are the stars. More and more celebrities are investing in clubs….and not just in England's top tier.

CGTN has made up its own 'Fame FC' star-studded line-up to mark the phenomenon. It's a team with lots of skills – not necessarily football ones, but it's a line-up that would certainly attract an army of autograph hunters.

We've got singers, actors, comedians... even a few athletes from other sports. They have two things in common – lots of ambition... and lots of money.

Goalkeeper

In goal we have rock god Elton John, one of the first music stars to buy a club.

He bought Watford FC back in 1976, helping them climb from the fourth division to the first in just seven years.

Defenders

At right-back is Minday Kaling, a comedian known for her role in the TV series The Office, who invested $1.1m in 2017 for a one percent stake in Swansea.

Left-back is Brian McFadden, of pop group Westlife, who invested in fifth-tier Chorley.

The central defensive pair consists of basketball legends LeBron James and Michael Jordan.

James paid just over $6 million for a two-percent stake in Liverpool. That was nearly 15 years ago. That two-percent stake is now worth more than $100 million. Fair to say LeBron scored big in that deal.

Jordan hasn't parted with any cash yet, but is strongly rumored to be investing in a Premier League club. 

Midfielders

On the right wing is rapping giant Stormzy who has invested further down English football's pyramid. He grew up in Croydon, a neighborhood in south London – and is now co-owner of Croydon Athletic. 

The club were in the ninth tier of English football when he bought in – but he must be doing something right, as the team was promoted a year after he arrived.

On the other flank is American football great JJ Watt, a minority investor in Burnley. The Lancashire team was promoted to the Premier League last May. 

The central midfield berths are taken by movie star pals Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney who own Welsh club Wrexham. The club plays in English football despite its geography.

The Hollywood pair had no football experience, but they understood publicity – producing a docuseries about the Welsh club.

Wrexham were in the fifth tier before the pair arrived in 2021 but are now just one level below the Premier League.

And get this – the Hollywood stars paid less than $3 million. Reports suggest Wrexham is now worth $150 million.

Forwards

Up front is Snoop Dogg. Earlier this year the American rapper invested in Swansea City, another Welsh team that plays in England.

In the second tier of British football, Swansea have been out of the Premier League for seven years. The question now - how far can the club go with Snoop calling the shots?

Snoop's strike partner Tom Brady is also flexing his financial muscle. Brady was a superstar in the other football - that's American football.

The former quarterback invested in Birmingham City two years ago. But he didn't just throw his money around – we understand he's advising the club on everything from nutrition to marketing.

So there you go – just a few of the big names in our fictional team.

And as the season kicks off, they'll all be hoping to increase their net worth – if you'll excuse the pun.