From Wharton to Rice: Why Premier League stars are hooked on collecting football cards

Football card collecting has found an unlikely fanbase among Premier League players, with stars including Declan Rice, Dominic Solanke, Tosin Adarabioyo and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton all publicly embracing the hobby in recent months.

Wharton, who made his England debut last year, sold his personal Topps card collection for over £2,000 to Kent-based YouTuber Jack White, who runs the GBW channel and has built an audience of more than 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and 100,000 followers on TikTok. White has been collecting stickers and cards for two decades, starting at primary school aged five or six before graduating to Match Attax and eventually filming pack-opening videos at the age of 12.

Asked about his most prized possessions, White pointed to two standouts. “My most valuable would be the 1/1 autographed Clive Tyldesley from Topps UCC Decades 90s Edition which came out in 2025,” he said. “But my favourite is the Messi Argentina 100 club 101 card which graded a PSA 8 and is one for the collection forever.”

White also offered advice to young collectors hoping to turn the hobby into a career. “My best advice would be to block out the outside noise,” he said. “When I started, I had people telling me to stop because cards were deemed ‘not cool’ back then. Focus on showing off your passion and an audience will follow.”

The trend extends well beyond social media content. Benjamin Hobart, Managing Director of SideCards, said the number of footballers openly engaging with the hobby has grown sharply in recent years. “Players like Eden Hazard have been very open about collecting with their children, while Declan Rice has filmed pack-opening videos with members of the Sidemen,” Hobart said. “Then you have the next generation coming through, with players like JJ Gabriel joining us for a break to celebrate the launch of his first-ever set, Topps Flagship, earlier this year.”

Hobart added that once players get started, it can be difficult to stop. “More often than not, once they start ripping packs, it’s pretty hard to get them to stop,” he said.

Many footballers have gone as far as creating dedicated trading card Instagram accounts, reflecting how the pastime has shifted from a childhood nostalgia trip into a serious collecting culture with real financial value.