22-year-old student becomes footballer after dad paid club £17,500 to play him

A 22-year-old student who's never played football before has been signed to a club and is set to replace its captain.

Third tier Czech club FK Usti nad Labem has gained a new footballer on it's team - 22-year-old law student, Martin Podhajsky.

Podhajsky may have never played football before - unless you count FIFA - but he's even set to replace Jakub Mares as captain.

All fuming FIFA gamers out there can put down their consoles they've raised in rage, because there is a catch.

Podhajsky - who also works for real estate company Viagem - is reportedly only set to play 10 minutes as the captain of the third tier team, as his dad paid the club a whopping £17,500 (500,000 Koruna) for the experience after his son 'said himself that he would like to play,' according to president of FK Usti nad Labem Premysl Kuban, quoted by The Sun.

FK Usti nad Labem currently has 10 points in the league table and reside in sixth position.

Whether Podhajsky can help improve that in his 10 minutes on the pitch? Who knows, stranger things have happened.

instagram/ fkviagemusti

Either way, the 22-year-old is set to jump straight into training and has even been officially registered with the Football Association of the Czech Republic.

Kuban continued: "He has never played football. Only FIFA from what I know. However you don’t just see 500k czech crowns rolling on the floor every day. If someone gives me this type of money, I’ll let anyone play.

"He said himself that he would like to play, then his dad called and things started to move. Martin is a law student and an employee of Viagem.

"We are now adjusting the contract with Martin, and the fans will see him already at our first home game, so far only on the substitutes’ bench."

Football fans from around the world are flooding to social media in shock over what has been branded 'the weirdest transfer of the summer' by Match of the Day.

One X user said: "I’m 51, just had a new right hip and waiting for op on the left one….used to play a bit of Sunday League back in the day…..if I flashed the cash would the chairman take me on?…."

"Get the financial aspect but it's an absolute slap in the face to lads who've dedicated their life and trained hard to become pro/semi pro footballers when Little Lord Fauntleroys dad can chuck afew grand at it and he's getting a sub appearance," another argued.

However, a third resolved: "Best believe if I end up with £17,500 I’m gonna go and play the last 10 mins of a game."

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Topics: Football, Sport, World News, Money, Parenting

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.