FORMER Newcastle United striker Michael Owen believes footballers’ wages are justified due to the high demand for the sport. Owen’s claims come in the wake of Wayne Rooney’s new bumper Manchester United deal where he reportedly receives around £300,000 per week. He believes if more and more money is poured into sports, from supporters and companies, the athletes will continue to ask for a bigger slice of the pie. Writing in his blog on social network Sportlobster, Owen said: “I can’t help but think the current hysteria surrounding footballers reported wage packets is over-hyped and unnecessary. “If you have a skill, which people are prepared to part with their hard-earned cash in order to watch, those with the skill will always command high salaries.” Owen, who also played for Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United during his career, compared other professions to football in the salary stakes, he said: “Nobody complains if pop stars sell out a stadium and rake in millions from a tour. Nobody complains about the reported weekly salaries, according to Forbes, of sportsmen such as Kobe Bryant (£700k), Roger Federer (£800k), Phil Mickelson (£480k) and Usain Bolt (£290k). “What is so different to a footballer earning similar amounts for being at the top of their own particular sport?” The former England forward, who scored 40 goals in 89 appearances for the Three Lions, is no stranger to inflated pay packets. During his time in the North East, Newcastle payed Owen a reported £110,000 per week but saw little return for their investment. With a sly dig to the paying public, Owen feels footballers are blameless when it comes to the amount they are paid: “I often hear and read the football fan’s mantra of ‘I’m paying his wages’ when a footballer is having a bad day, and yet fans don’t feel the same way at all when watching Tiger Woods or Roger Federer play a poor match.” He does concede that others, who work a lot harder than footballers, should be paid accordingly: “Of course, there is an argument for saying all sports stars’ wages are ridiculously high in comparison to people’s salaries in regular jobs, and we all know soldiers and nurses are underpaid for the work they do, but how is this specifically a footballer’s fault?” Owen recognises how lucky footballers are, but feels the amount they are paid is justified, and can’t see things changing soon: “Market forces dictate cost, and I really don’t think footballers’ wages are in any way out of sync with the rest of the sporting world.”
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 21:45:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015