Football star’s £1m booty
Spurs midfielder Dembele finds trove of 18th-century treasure in his cellar
TOP Premier League footballer Mousa Dembele has struck it rich after discovering £1million worth of treasure in his new hotel cellar.
The Belgian is set to open De Gulde Schoen – The Golden Shoe – in Antwerp, the city where he was born.
Tottenham star Dembele instructed archaeologists to give the 700-year-old premises a check before a rebuild.
And the 30-year-old midfielder is quids in after they found 18th-century porcelain, glass, pottery and tableware.
Some of the items are expected to be put on display at the hotel, with the rest given to local museums.
Dembele’s sister Assita, who co-owns the property, said: “This is something unique, and it fits perfectly with the building’s historic past.”
Antwerp city archaeologist Tim Bellens said: “We found the items in a closed-off area in the cellar. It was pure chance, as the space did not match the building plan.
“The Dembele family want to build a spa and swimming pool in the basement, and invited us to look at it first.
“It is unclear why and how the items got there, but maybe it was stuff the owners wanted to get rid of.”
He added: “The building seems to have been a high-class tavern or hotel in the past.”