?% Villa. John O'Shea's gigantic wedge.

[wif]

I just find it incredibly sad and depressing that a (very average) back-up RB is getting paid that amount of money.

He's good enough to be a regular first team choice player for one of the best teams in the world.

He's a long-term choice of the finest football managers of recent times.

His club takes in £278 million a year.  He takes out an approximately one seventieth share of that.  About 1.4% of their earnings.

Isn't that a fair share for the amount of money he helps to generate?  I'm sad and depressed that I don't earn that kind of money, but that's because I don't do anything which generates anything like that kind of money. 

Still, the tax he pays on £4 million a year will pay the salaries of about 100 nurses, which should make you feel happy and elated...

[RonBurgundy]

I just find it incredibly sad and depressing that a (very average) back-up RB is getting paid that amount of money.

He's good enough to be a regular first team choice player for one of the best teams in the world.

He's a long-term choice of the finest football managers of recent times.

His club takes in £278 million a year.  He takes out an approximately one seventieth share of that.  About 1.4% of their earnings.

Isn't that a fair share for the amount of money he helps to generate?  I'm sad and depressed that I don't earn that kind of money, but that's because I don't do anything which generates anything like that kind of money. 

Still, the tax he pays on £4 million a year will pay the salaries of about 100 nurses, which should make you feel happy and elated...

Not so sure about the last bit - aren't footballers all tax dodging scoundrels to add to the list of reasons to not like them?

[darren woolley]

I think the football world is going crazy when O'Shea and Anderson can get that kind of money while being shite we have it with sidwell and beye when his the madness going to stop.

[NeilH]

The amount of money being paid is only a result of the amount of cash in the game. If it did not go to the footballers, then it would go to the promotors, or the club chairmen. If the game is fuelled by petro-dollars then its only logical that the actors in this charade will get extremely rich off it.
Meanwhile in other news, Nobby Stiles sold all his world cup and league medals yesterday to help out his family. He got 250K for it, or one weeks wage for Rooney in football terms.

[LeeS]

I just find it incredibly sad and depressing that a (very average) back-up RB is getting paid that amount of money.

He's good enough to be a regular first team choice player for one of the best teams in the world.

He's a long-term choice of the finest football managers of recent times.

His club takes in £278 million a year.  He takes out an approximately one seventieth share of that.  About 1.4% of their earnings.

Isn't that a fair share for the amount of money he helps to generate?  I'm sad and depressed that I don't earn that kind of money, but that's because I don't do anything which generates anything like that kind of money. 

Still, the tax he pays on £4 million a year will pay the salaries of about 100 nurses, which should make you feel happy and elated...

Not so sure about the last bit - aren't footballers all tax dodging scoundrels to add to the list of reasons to not like them?

Its quite hard to dodge tax when everyone knows how much you earn and you cant claim to live in another country for 9 months of the year because you're one the telly every week.

[Concrete John]

Meanwhile in other news, Nobby Stiles sold all his world cup and league medals yesterday to help out his family. He got 250K for it, or one weeks wage for Rooney in football terms.

If ever there was a way to illustrate the ridiculous state of money and greed in the modern game, this is it.

[PeterWithe]

I saw a piece about Nobby Stiles recently, I cant say I feel sorry for him, he didn't look like he was short of a few quid and if he chooses to sell his medals then that's his own business

[Dave Cooper please]

Nobby said that he sold his stuff because his family couldn't decide who would get what after he died so he's divvying up the cash instead.

[Mark H]

I saw a piece about Nobby Stiles recently, I cant say I feel sorry for him, he didn't look like he was short of a few quid and if he chooses to sell his medals then that's his own business

I think it was Man Utd that bought the medal ??

[JUAN PABLO]

Some of these players should be done for fraud..  I mean, Steve Sidwell a professional footballer...

[lovejoy]

Three words
Shaun
Wright
Philips

That is all.

[supertom]

Wow, hell must have frozen over! That's insanity! That might well be the craziest thing I've ever heard.

Fuck me.

I hate football sometimes, and this is one of those times! 

[nick harper]

Can't help comparing the obscene wages with Nobby Stiles having to auction off his World Cup and European Cup medals along with other personal mementoes from his career to help secure his family's future.

He got about £400k and United bought most of that for their museum.

All those memories of a fantastic career for two weeks of Rooney's wages (or Yaya Toure - my God!).

[PeterWithe]

I saw a piece about Nobby Stiles recently, I cant say I feel sorry for him, he didn't look like he was short of a few quid and if he chooses to sell his medals then that's his own business

I think it was Man Utd that bought the medal ??

It was, I still don't feel sorry for him, he wanted the extra money and he's got it.

[TopDeck113]

Re: John O'Shea - £80k a week.  That's the economics that United will now have to deal with after agreeing Rooney's new deal.  All the other players will use that as a marker.  Leaving the money aside, it makes sense for them to keep him.  He can play in the middle or at full back, and with Ferdinand as injury prone as Owen and Neville due for retirement, it gives Fergie experienced cover.

Re: Nobby Stiles - fair play to Man Utd for putting their hand in the corporate pocket to help out a player who won the highest honours, but who they short-changed during his playing days.  I seem to remember reading that when England won the World Cup he was the player earning the least from their club, something like £40 a week.