Former Premier League youngster Oliver Spedding, who later ventured into porn and was dating adult film star Sophie Anderson, dies aged 34. His personal life, family, career, Wikipedia, and biography explored.
Oliver Spedding was a prospect in Crystal Palace’s academy as a teenager but his career as a footballer was paused after he was jailed.
As reported by The Mirror, Spedding fell out of love for the game of football after serving time in prison.
He continued playing at the non-league level though with Croydon, having moved into porn – where he went under the name Damian Oliver.
He had started a relationship with adult film star Sophie Anderson whom he met while on set.
The world learned about his death in November 2023.
Here’s everything we know about Oliver Spedding; his cause of death, career, net worth, family, and what happened to him.
Who was Oliver Spedding?
Oliver Spedding (born in 1989) was a former soccer player who turned his back on football to move into the porn industry.
Who did Oliver Spedding play for? He was a Crystal Palace youth player. He played in the academy as a teenager for a while but he didn’t make it into the professional game before his time behind bars.
After his release, he continued to play non-league football with Croydon FC.
He, however, gave up on his football career and it also followed with a stint in jail.
Oliver then became a painter and decorator before going into adult entertainment.
He was known in the adult industry as Damian Oliver.
In July 2022, he opened up on his experiences on the Anything Goes with James English podcast – expressing some regret about his career choice.
He revealed he was paid just £150 per movie and often regretted turning his back on a potential career at Selhurst Park.
He recalled: “That was terrifying, being on my first set.
“People used to say to me, ‘You’re doing it all anyway’, because they knew I used to sleep with girls, I was a player – and they said, ‘You might as well get paid for it’.
“But it wasn’t until I had the confidence to actually do it – it was a whole different ball game.”
He added: “When I was at Crystal Palace if I’d have stayed with them, then I could have been earning a lot more playing football. I used to fight as well, maybe that could have gone somewhere. I was good at both of those things, but being a porn star, I thought that would be just as good – but it’s not as good as people think.”
There are no details about his parents and family members.
Was Oliver Spedding married or dating anyone?
Footballer-turned-adult film star, Oliver Spedding was never legally married, hence, he had no wife or spouse.
This does not mean he was single or hadn’t been in a relationship he was dating his girlfriend Sophie Anderson.
Oliver met partner Sophie while on set of an adult film, striking up a romance with her.
Sophie has been working as an adult actress since 2017 and became a big name in the industry after a video with fellow actress Rebecca More went viral the following year.
Since 2022, Sophie has appeared on various podcasts discussing her life and has been a team captain on the Canadian OutTV sex education quiz show F**king Smart.
Did Oliver Spedding have any children?
Former Crystal Palace footballer Oliver Spedding was not known to be a father, thus, he had no kids.
There are no confirmed reports of him welcoming a son or a daughter with his partner when he was alive.
How did Oliver Spedding die?
Oliver’s former club Croydon FC announced his passing and held a minute’s silence before their match on Saturday, November 18, 2023.
A statement read: “Oliver played for the club over a couple of spells and was a much loved individual who always gave his utmost effort for the team.
“Oliver will be hugely missed by everyone at the club and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”
Referring to the club’s nickname, the club added: “Rest in Peace, Ollie. Once a Tram, always a Tram.”
As of November 21, 2023, his cause of death has not been confirmed.
Croydon manager Giles revealed in a post on X that they had held talks about him returning to football.
He wrote on Friday: ‘Such heartbreaking news, Ollie was a warrior on the pitch and gave 100% every time he represented Croydon
‘We spoke a couple of weeks ago about him getting back into football. I hope you find your peace mate. Sleep Tight.’
Tributes have also poured in from former team-mates with his former centre-back partner Kieran Rufus tweeting: ‘I don’t really know what to say but I’m genuinely so hurt by the news of the passing of Ollie.
‘For a time was my CB partner at Croydon FC and a lovely guy who I can only say good things about.
‘RIP my bro and my heart goes out to his family.’
What was Oliver Spedding’s net worth?
Oliver Spedding’s fortune was never reported by reputable outlets, however, he made a substantial amount for himself.
Before he died, he was believed to be worth around $500,000 to $1 million.
He made the majority of his money from his career as a porn star.