Accused ex-Premier League star ‘said Rio Ferdinand invested in trading scheme’

A former Premier League star claimed footballing friends including Rio Ferdinand had invested in his foreign exchange trading scheme in a £15 million (€17 million) scam, a court has been told.

Ex-Charlton Athletic defender Richard Rufus, 47, allegedly lost money “hand over fist” after promising investors returns of 60 per cent a year.

He claimed to be a successful foreign exchange trader headhunted by some of the UK’s largest financial organisations, including Morgan Stanley, Coutts Bank and Barclays, Southwark Crown Court heard.

He told investors current and ex-footballers, including former England and Manchester United defender Ferdinand, 44, were already on board, a jury was told on Tuesday.

Rufus, who made 288 appearances for Charlton after joining the club in 1993, is said to have used some of the £15 million invested to pay back investors in a pyramid scheme, while some was used for his own purposes.

Prosecutor Lucy Organ said Rufus appeared to “able to maintain a lifestyle of a footballer” long after he was forced into retirement in 2004 because of a knee injury.

She told jurors he enjoyed the “trappings of wealth”, living in a big five-bedroom house on a private estate in Purley, south London, driving a Bentley and wearing a Rolex watch.

Ms Organ said: “He scammed friends, family and associates out of millions of pounds by pretending he was able to offer a low-risk investment in the foreign exchange market.

“He claimed that he had had significant success with his strategy in the past.

“In reality, the investments were fraught with risk.

“He lost their money hand over fist.

“The investors, rather than getting the risk-free returns they were promised, lost a great deal of money.

“Mr Rufus took over £15 million