Former Celtic ace Bobby Petta faced bankruptcy years after hanging up his boots, prompting him to take on a variety of jobs outside sport including becoming a DJ and delivery driver. The 51-year-old, who shone in a memorable 6-2 Celtic victory over Rangers in 2000, encountered financial woes after, as he put it, placing too much faith in financial advisers.
The Dutch winger, whose career also included stints at English clubs like Fulham and Ipswich Town, now leads a humble life after hopes for a retirement nest egg went up in smoke. He even had a brush with fame during his footballing days, making a cameo appearance in one of Hollywood star Brad Pitt’s films, but times have certainly changed.
Petta didn’t disclose the exact sum he lost to fraudsters. However, in 2023 he revealed to Dutch publication Algemeen Dagblad that it was ‘a lot’.
“I thought: when I’m done, I’ll have a nice nest egg. Not so,” he said. “I didn’t consider the consequences. At least, not long enough. I assumed too much of the best in people.”
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Reports in the Netherlands characterised Petta’s investment as akin to a pyramid scheme. “I was too gullible,” he admitted. “But it all sounded so convincing. They tell you exactly what you want to hear.”
Petta moved to Australia for several years after leaving English football in 2006 but was back in the UK by 2016, ending his retirement to sign for Scottish outfit Rossvale. He was based in the UK when he set out to rebuild his life working as a delivery driver for DPD after being forced to find new sources of income after bankruptcy.
He claims to have earned approximately £200 daily in the delivery role, considerably less than a footballer’s salary, also working as a DJ and running a pub during recent years. As of 2023, he was coaching young players in Hamilton, Scotland, providing them with individual training sessions.
The winger was also named in a Celtic legends squad which competed alongside teams from Rangers, Aberdeen and Dundee United in the Scottish Masters tournament in 2025.
His life these days marks a stark contrast to his brief Hollywood appearance in 2006, when he featured as an extra in World War Z. Sections of the Brad Pitt film were shot in Glasgow and sharp-eyed audiences spotted him on screen – though, as he remembers, it lasted just 30 seconds and was never likely to bring about a career as an actor.
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The ex- Feyenoord player has spoken of his eagerness to participate in speaking engagements that might help others steer clear of the same pitfalls he encountered. He has contemplated his present circumstances with a philosophical outlook, despite it being worlds apart from his footballer lifestyle when his lavish spending habits earned him the nickname ‘Bobby Prada’ from teammates.
“I don’t need to have everything to be happy. I live in a small flat now, have hot water and electricity. That’s enough for me,” he added.
“And no, I can’t buy everything I want, but I can buy bread. Not everyone in the world can say that. It’s all so relative, you know. You can’t take all your money with you to heaven. So it really means nothing.”
