Tosin Adarabioyo admits eye-watering amount he has spent on trading cards

Tosin Adarabioyo admitted he has spent as much as £5000 on one trading card, as the Chelsea defender revealed the extent of his collecting hobby.

Adarabioyo rekindled his childhood love of collecting football trading cards a few years ago, and conceded he has splashed out some eye-watering amounts in order to get some of the rarest cards available.

The defender was speaking at the launch of the new Fanatics Collectibles flagship store in London’s Regent Street and believes the trading card trend is set to explode in the UK.

“I used to collect back in the day when I was young and it was obviously the sticker albums for World Cups and Euros. Everyone loves that, it’s got that nostalgic feeling.

“Post COVID I got into collecting again. Some of my friends told me to look into it so I looked, and I just got that bug that you do with some things and I just really enjoyed collecting again.

“It can get expensive. [I spent] five grand up on one card. It was a [Topps] Haaland gold card.

“I love ripping boxes open and to know that there's a possibility that you could open a box and get a card worth £1.1million is insane.

“It's life-changing money and has amazing value and that's one of the amazing things about this hobby.”

Adarabioyo shared his collectibles experience alongside fellow professional footballer Dom Solanke for a special live episode of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast at the launch of the Fanatics Collectibles store.

The shop is now open to the public, with fans able to purchase all kinds of rare cards alongside regular packs. The space is also a place for collectors to hang out with one another, with a bespoke livestreaming area also aiding content creation.

“It's amazing that Fanatics have now [got] a store, their first store as well here in London,” added Adarabioyo.

“It's going to be the base for every collector here in the UK and I'm sure people all across Europe are going to come here as well to check it out.”

The Chelsea defender’s most valued part of his current collection are the cards he has of himself, with the former Manchester City youth player keen to get his hands on as many of his own cards as he can.

“I've got pretty much my whole set from the 22-23 season,” he revealed. “I've got my 1 of 1, my 1 of 5, my 1 of 10, 1 of 20. Just a whole stack of different cards and I'm really excited to do the same again this season.

“For me it's obviously just a sentimental thing. It's me on a card so I hold great value on that but you never know I could get a massive fan that absolutely loves me and just gives me an incredible offer. If someone just drops ‘I'll give that collection for a mil’, I'll take it.”

This episode of the podcast was recorded at the opening of Fanatics Collectibles new flagship store on Regent Street, London. The store is now open to the public following a week of opening celebrations featuring Rio Ferdinand, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dominic Solanke, Lewis Hamilton and many more stars from the world of sport.