Roman Abramovich, the previous proprietor of Chelsea Soccer Membership, “performed a key half” in securing the discharge of 5 British prisoners of the struggle in Ukraine.
The Russian, 55, welcomed John Harding, Shaun Pinner, Aiden Aslin, Dylan Healy and Andrew Hill onto a jet flying them from Russia to Saudi Arabia.
He gave every of the lads iPhones in order that they might name their households and even talked soccer with the lads whereas they ate steaks on the flight to Riyadh.
Mr Harding, a British Military veteran, mentioned he had not recognised the Russian billionaire on the airplane till Mr Pinner, a West Ham fan, pointed him out.
Mr Harding informed The Solar: “Shaun mentioned, ‘You actually appear to be Roman Abramovich’ and he replied, ‘That’s as a result of I’m him, sir’. He couldn’t imagine it.
“I joked that Shaun is a West Ham fan and all of us laughed.”
Learn extra: Roman Abramovich ‘performed key half’ in launch of Aiden Aslin and prisoners of struggle in Russi