Talking in the Daily Mail:
He said: 'Some will think I'm unique, others boring, but for me it's not about the money. Football is a great profession to be in and I'm having a good life. It doesn't matter to me if someone else is having a better one.
'Players who are deserving can have as much as they like and it won't trouble me. I hope Stevie Ireland signs a new contract and they pay him whatever he wants, because for me he has been our best player this season.
'Whatever he earns, he deserves, and if I only get a hundredth or whatever fraction of what he is paid, it wouldn't matter to me as long as I had enough to be OK. I'd never compare myself to him, he's integral to the team.'
Given the characterisation of young professional footballers - much of it based on fact - it is a real relief to hear this sort of thing.
1 comment:
That's a rare perspective from a footballer. I particularly liked the way he kept his mouth shut when Ben Haim and Richards were clowning around at centre half and he knew he could do a better job. It's the same thing Jensen Button has been praised for, and he's reaping the rewards too.
Give the boy a pay rise. If he retains his place next season, he'll be in England's post-World Cup squads.
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