Embarrassed footballer Richard Rufus has been directed to repay only £372,740 of the £9 million he swindled from family and friends through a pyramid scheme.

The former Charlton Athletic player, now 49, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in 2023 after deceiving loved ones into investing in a fraudulent get-rich-quick scheme.

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Southwark Crown Court revealed yesterday that Rufus had defrauded a total of £9,388,112.99 from his family and friends.

However, the court mandated he return only £372,740.20, which constitutes all of his remaining assets.

Posing as a foreign exchange trader, he convinced friends to invest alongside him, falsely claiming involvement from football stars like Rio Ferdinand.

In reality, he squandered the money on a luxury Bentley, a Rolex watch, and an opulent mansion.

The once affluent star is now left with just £372,740.20 to repay his victims.

Rufus tried to defend his expenditures, asserting he required the funds to sustain his extravagant lifestyle.

However, Judge Dafna Spiro stated that he had inflated his living expenses.

She commented: “I do not find him to be a credible witness.

“I do not regard these expenses as reasonable – while such a lifestyle may be acceptable for a Premier League footballer.

“I believe he is not being truthful to the court.”

My aunt met a man on a bus who forged her will & paid drug addicts to ‘witness’ it, swindling my family out of £350k

He has been instructed to repay the amount by March of the following year or risk an additional three years in prison.

Judge Dafna added: “I am issuing a confiscation order – which will be allocated to victims as stated in court by the Crown.

“We will submit a victim schedule and corresponding amounts for each.

“This confiscation order applies to Mr. Rufus following his conviction for his offenses in 2022.

“I am convinced he will be unable to pay this sum today, necessitating repayment before 12 March 2025.”

If he does not make the payment, he will serve an additional three years and nine months in prison, which will run consecutively with his current sentence.

At the peak of his fraudulent operation, the former footballer also blew £200,000 on luxury cars.

He spent thousands more on shopping and fine dining at exclusive restaurants.

In contrast, his only legitimate income was £850 per month from renting out his property in Surrey.

Rufus misled investors by guaranteeing the return of their initial investment within 14 days of their request.

He acquired over £15 million in total, repaying some to earlier investors to perpetuate the fraud.

He continued the scheme even after the Financial Services Authority froze his accounts in 2011.

Charlton legend Rufus earned six England caps during his career.

He spent his entire career at Charlton, making 288 appearances since debuting in 1994 at the age of 19.

His first goal came during the club’s historic win over Sunderland in the 1998 play-off final at Wembley.

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