Kevin-Prince Boateng revealed he once bought three cars in one day at Tottenham as he reflected on "idiotic" behaviour earlier in his career.
The midfielder arrived in north London in 2007 as a highly rated talent but failed to hold down a regular spot under Martin Jol, Juande Ramos and Harry Redknapp.
Boateng was shipped off to Portsmouth at a loss two years later and has played for eight further clubs over the next 10 years.
The Germany-born Ghana international accepts that his level of commitment was severely lacking as a youngster with his new-found money a huge distraction which he is now paying for.
"I'll go back and say: I didn't treat football as a job," he told La Repubblica.
"I was an idiot. I had talent, but I trained the bare minimum, an hour on the field. I was the last to arrive and the first to leave. I'd be out with friends.
"I had money, I lived like a king. I'd never been to the gym. That changes your later career.
"I bought three cars in one day when I was at Tottenham: a Lamborghini, a Hummer and a Cadillac.
"To the youngsters, I tell them: ‘You cannot buy happiness.' I didn't play, I had family problems, I was out of the squad.
"I was looking for happiness in material things: a car makes you happy for a week. I bought three to be happy for three weeks."
