Jamaican international Marvin Elliott was among a group of investors swindled out of thousands of pounds in an elaborate £5.5 million Ponzi scheme.

The midfielder, who also plies his trade for English League One team Crawley Town, is understood to have invested £50,000 in the scheme, allegedly run by 25-year-old Alex Hope, a court in Southwark heard earlier this week. The incident occurred during the player's time at Millwall, where Elliot was, according to reports. He was promised as high as 50 per cent returns on his money in just three months. The footballer, however, never saw any return on his investment.

Hope, who was presented as a currency market expert, is instead said to have spent the money on living a plush lifestyle, spending an astonishing £2 million on a hefty entertainment bill over a few months. The court heard that the one time catering manager spent £1million in casinos and £500,000 in nightclubs.

Promoted by alleged partner Raj Von Badlo, who put on a number of high-priced seminars in order to convince investors, Hope is said to have collected the £5.5 million in just 13 months. Far from successful as a supposed trader, however, Hope sustained trading losses of £500,000 and encountered capital liabilities of more than £3,500,000.