'I had to rely on benefits, people might say: ‘Where was all the money you earned at Newcastle?’ But I invested money into something that turned out to be a Ponzi scheme' Gael Bigirama reveals his struggles after life in the Premier League

Contrary to popular belief, life as a Premier League footballer is not always a story of players enjoying untold riches after having earned generational wealth for their exploits on the pitch.

Money can be squandered, investments can go sour and con artists can look to take advantage of young players looking for guidance after signing that first big contract.

One player who suffered from the latter was former Newcastle United midfielder Gael Bigirimana, who has opened up on the financial struggles he suffered when he looked to get his post-St James ' Park career back on track.

Bigirimana on his post-Premier League struggles

Big things were expected from Bigirimana when Newcastle United snapped him up from Coventry City as a teenager in 2012 after a string of impressive performances for the Sky Blues which had seen him named as the EFL Apprentice of the Year.

A bright start for Alan Pardew’s side quickly gave way and the Burundi international found himself struggling for first-team minutes with the Magpies, before an unsuccessful loan stint at Rangers and a return to Coventry, first on loan and then permanently in 2016.

Spells in Scotland with Motherwell and Hibernian then followed but on the release from the latter at the end of his deal in 2019, he looked to return to a club in England, only to struggle to find suitors and would end up at non-league Solihull Moors, during what he said was one of the ‘hardest’ periods of his life.

"That was a real challenge," he told Chronicle Live. "I was in the fire and being tested. That transfer window came and I was out of contract again. I went on trial to a mid-table team in Croatia. The trial went well, everything was agreed and I went home to tell my wife we would be moving to Croatia.

"I was waiting to board the plane back out there and I rang the coach to check if there was going to be someone waiting for me on the other side.

"He said: ‘Where are you?’ and I told him I was waiting to board the plane and he told me not to board the plane.

"That day their striker had got injured and he told me they had to wait to see if the injury was long term. If it was, the move would no longer be on. He said he would get back to me if it was and that was how that ended.

"I had to get the people at the airport to get my bag out of the plane. This was at the end of January and by the end of February, COVID hit.

"I had no club, no income and we had to rely on benefit income. Some people might say: ‘Where was all the money you earned at Newcastle?’ But I invested money into something which turned out to be a wrong investment and turned out to be a Ponzi scheme."

Bigirimana went on to spend two seasons with Northern Irish side Glentoran and after a year with Tanzanian Premier League champions Young Africans, he returned to Ireland with Dungannon Swifts and captained them in a UEFA Conference League qualifier earlier this season.