Matt Oakley

Matt Oakley

Leicester midfielder Matt Oakley is producing vintage performances on and off the field by running his own wine-making company.

Former Premier League player Oakley has gone into business with Barry Skarin, who once worked alongside TV chef Marco Pierre White to set up Nebuchadnezzar wines.

Oakley, who started the company ten years ago, said: “It’s a company that covers everything to do with wine - from people buying bottles for £6 and getting them delivered straight to their door up to managing investment portfolios for people."

“The major benefit in investing in wine is that there is no capital gains tax involved. If you invest in property and do well then you are giving a big chunk of your profits back to the Inland Revenue, but that’s not the case with wine."

“Wine as a personal collection is recognised as a wasting asset - it has a lifespan after which it is not drinkable - so there is a tax break on it, and it’s a great investment.”

Oakley says the influx of foreign players to the English game prompted him to go down the wine route.

He added: “The traditional footballer’s route was to retire then buy a pub I but with the number of foreign players in the game and the bigger money on offer these days players are eating out at the best places."

“That is how I picked up an interest in wine.”