Booth On Financial Advisor Guiding Him with Money Management

Matthew Booth is one of the most famous former footballers in South Africa. He was widely known for the famous chants from fans when he touches the ball, “BOOOTH”. He was very calm on the ball and used to avoid schoolboy errors at the back.

We all know how professional footballers blow the big cheques they get from the clubs they play for, forgetting that it’s not going to last forever. Saving as early as in the very first contract that he signed, helped Booth to prepare for the future.

“Players must be very careful with their life partners they get involved with and at what stage they get involved with them and players must stop complaining about clubs that don’t look after them after retirement,” Booth said on CapeTalk.

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“You’re only viewed as an asset when you play, players have to realize that. But the best thing I did was, me and my wife sat down with the financial advisor, probably about 15 years ago, just a relief from that meeting knowing exactly what to spend and can not spend on, what to put away etc.

“I’d encourage players to do that but unfortunately a lot of guys don’t trust a man in the suit. Or older players must sit down with younger players. A lot of time unfortunately, a player will say, ‘huh, who are you to tell me what to do with my money? You had your chance. I’m at my physical prime now, you’re simply jealous of my earnings,” he added.

Booth started his professional football at Cape Town Spurs in 1994 before moving to Mamelodi Sundowns in 1998. In 2002, an opportunity to move abroad came his way when he was loaned to England’s Wimbledon. In 2004, he then signed for Rostov – the Russian team and spent two years there. In the same country, he joined Krylia Sovetov in 2004 and spent about five years there before he returned to his old local club Sundowns.

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The now-defunct Ajax Cape Town and Bidvest Wits were among the teams he played for before he retired in 2014. Booth has since established himself as a football pundit at SuperSport as he’s no longer on the field.