Prem stars who made a pile of money after football… from biochemical boffin Flamini to rice and noodle baron Gyan

PREMIER LEAGUE footballers enjoy a decent payoff for their commitment to the sport.

Stars from the league are able to rake in thousands every week, with the highest earners like Kevin De Bruyne, picking up over £400,000 per week.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the highest earner in the Premier LeagueGetty

For many fans, if they were ever lucky enough to end up on a night out with the stars they would be in for a great time.

In fact, you should be able to put your wallet away if you are ever out with a Prem star as the average weekly salary in the division last year was over £60,000.

But not all of our top-flight heroes have kicked back and relied on their football earnings in recent years, with some wisely diversifying their incomes.

And here we take a look at six internationally capped stars who proved their business acumen was every bit as impressive as their footballing ability.

MATHIEU FLAMINI… big in biochemicals

Arsenal’s combative midfielder Flamini, 39, went from pro footballer to environmental entrepreneur as co-founder of GF Biochemicals.

The company is estimated to be worth £21billion thanks to its ability to mass-produce levulinic acid, which is a fuel made from plant waste that can be used in the creation of plastics.

Jamie McPhilimey – The SunFlamini is co-founder of highly successful GF Biochemicals[/caption]

ASAMOAH GYAN… big in everything!

Better known for his stunning 51-goal haul for Ghana than his two-year spell at Sunderland, the 37-year-old is on course for a very comfortable retirement.

Gyan’s business ventures in airlines, real estate, bottled water, boxing promotion, petrol stations and rice and noodles means his net worth is about £17million.

Dave Pinegar – The SunGyan often delighted Black Cats fans and now he delights shareholders[/caption]

ROBBIE FOWLER… property tycoon

Liverpool’s goalscoring legend hung up his shooting boots six years ago but had already been building a sustainable income away from football long before then.

He is involved in horse-racing and has owned a sports promotion company since the 1990s. But real estate is where Fowler, 48, shines as he reportedly owns more than 100 properties and has a net worth of more than £30m.

PAFowler has proved as skilled at collecting properties as he was at bagging goals[/caption]

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THOMAS GRAVESEN… the gambler

The Danish hardman delighted Everton fans with his take-no-prisoners approach on the pitch but stopped playing at the age of 32.

He went on to amass a tidy fortune through clever investments and then boosted his pot up to £100m through poker winnings in Las Vegas. Gravesen, 47, now works back in Denmark as a TV pundit.

Rex FeaturesGravesen has remained as colourful a character off the pitch as he was on it[/caption]

SUN JIHAI… tech giant entrepreneur

Sun, 45, is still fondly regarded by Manchester City fans and became a cult hero as the first player from China to appear in and score in the Premier League.

The retired defender is now worth about £20m after co-founding a sports data company called HaiQui Sports, which has over 400million users in China.

AFPSun (centre) met British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015[/caption]

MICHAEL OWEN… horses for courses

The one-time Liverpool phenom saw his footballing career cut short in 2013 after years of battling injuries.

He has since become heavily involved in horse racing and his stable has produced winners at Ascot and the Dubai Gold Cup. Owen, 43, has earned plenty from horse sales and prize money and is believed to be worth about £36m.

PAOwen’s collection of expensive horses are even quicker than he was[/caption]