Faiq Bolkiah, a former Chelsea youth player, is now a free agent after being released by Thai club Ratchaburi F.C. This summer. The 28-year-old Brunei international, who is also the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei, made just 18 appearances for Ratchaburi in over three years at the club, scoring twice.
Bolkiah's football journey began in English youth football, with spells at AFC Newbury, Southampton, Chelsea, and Leicester City before he turned professional. He never made a senior appearance for Chelsea or Leicester, moving to Portugal with CS Marítimo in 2020. After less than a year and only eight appearances for their youth and B-teams, he left for Thailand, playing for Chonburi FC before his transfer to Ratchaburi in June 2023.
Professional journey after Chelsea
His time in Thailand saw him make a total of fifty appearances in the Thai first league across almost five years. For Ratchaburi specifically, he managed 23 appearances and two goals. His release in July 2024 concludes a three-year tenure with the club and leaves him seeking a new team as he enters his prime years.
Bolkiah is famously dubbed the 'richest footballer in the world' due to his family's wealth, which is reported to be around £16 billion. His uncle, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, is the world's longest-reigning current monarch, with a personal fortune largely derived from Brunei's oil and natural gas reserves. This vast wealth provides a stark contrast to Bolkiah's modest playing career, which has seen him become a free agent at 28.
A small connection to Chelsea remains through Ruben Sammut, a former academy graduate who played alongside Bolkiah and is now a scout for the Blues. Chelsea's first team, meanwhile, is handling its own challenges, sitting 10th in the Premier League with seven points from five games ahead of a home match against Bournemouth. Bolkiah's next move, as a free agent, is yet to be determined.
This story first appeared at Daily Mail Sport
