Man United players dominate Rich List
Manchester United players have overshadowed those of their Premier League rivals – including big spending neighbours Manchester City – on FourFourTwo.com’s Football Rich List 2011/12.
Four of the top five active players in the list hail from the Old Trafford side - with the exception being ex-Red Devil David Beckham.
Beckham maintains his position as the richest player, with his fortune calculated to be worth £135 million, a rise of £35m on last year.
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The former England captain currently earns £4m a year from his contract with LA Galaxy, but it is endorsements that contribute the most to his overall earnings – with the Londoner pocketing £35m a year promoting everything from grooming products and sportswear to video games and internet search engines.
Michael Owen (£40m), Rio Ferdinand (£36m), Ryan Giggs (£30m) and Wayne Rooney (£30m) follow behind Beckham – albeit by some distance – in a list that includes eight Chelsea players and only two from Manchester City.
While Sheikh Mansour heads the owners' Rich List, Yaya Toure (£14m) and wantaway striker Carlos Tevez (£14m) are the Etihad Stadium club’s only representatives.
Chelsea, on the other hand, have Frank Lampard (£26m), John Terry (£22m), Didier Drogba (£19m) and Fernando Torres (£18m) all in the top 10, separated from the United quartet by Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard (£27m) in sixth position.
By Vithushan Ehantharajah
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