The Swansea City ball boy involved in a notorious on-pitch incident with Eden Hazard has sold the vodka brand he built for an estimated £300 million. Charlie Morgan, now 31, co-founded Au Vodka in 2015 and has agreed a deal with the American drinks corporation Sazerac.

Morgan was 17 when he was at the centre of a flashpoint during Chelsea's League Cup semi-final second leg at the Liberty Stadium in January 2013. With Swansea protecting a two-goal aggregate lead, Morgan appeared to shield the ball from a frustrated Hazard, who was then sent off for kicking out at him. The pair later reconciled in the dressing room.

"The ball boy came in the changing room and we had a quick chat," Hazard said at the time. "I apologised and the boy apologised as well, and it is over. Sorry."

That moment of infamy became a launchpad. Morgan and business partner Jackson Quinn started Au Vodka in Swansea with, in their words, 'nothing but an idea and a belief that vodka didn’t have to be boring.' The brand grew with celebrity endorsements and a major investment from DJ Charlie Sloth, eventually employing more than 80 people in South Wales. Its sale to Sazerac, which owns over 500 brands including Southern Comfort, values the company at roughly double a previous £150 million estimate.

Sazerac chief executive Jake Wenz welcomed the acquisition. "Au Vodka is a brand we’ve long admired," Wenz said. "What Charlie, Jackson, and Charlie have achieved in just over a decade is spectacular and rare, and we have big plans for Au as we welcome the brand into the Sazerac family."

The deal marks an extraordinary journey from the touchline to a multi-million pound exit. It also arrives as the club he once served as a ball boy enjoys a strong start to the Championship season. Swansea City sit second in the table with 14 points from seven games, their form reading three wins, one draw and one defeat from the last five.

Attention now turns back to on-field matters, with a trip to face eighth-placed Lincoln City next on the fixtures schedule this Saturday. Supporters can check the latest squad news ahead of that match as the Swans look to maintain their promotion push.

More detail at Daily Mirror Football