Very Quick and Easy Question.

[gatso]

what makes you think phil neville is a utd fan? I know a couple of guys who used to knock around with gary as kids and who played cricket with phil and always got the impression they followed city and bury (though I never actually asked the question so could be wrong)

[The Camel]

what makes you think phil neville is a utd fan? I know a couple of guys who used to knock around with gary as kids and who played cricket with phil and always got the impression they followed city and bury (though I never actually asked the question so could be wrong)

I have no idea if he's a Utd fan.. just thought it was a similar situation that Phil Neville reached a similar stage of his career and wasn't first choice at Man U and he decided to leave.

The fact his brother was at Utd at the same time was surely a big incentive to stay than being a supporter.

[AndrewT]

He's 30.

FFS, I must be getting old.

I would have guessed 24 or 25.

He won his first England cap in 1999!!!!!!!!!!

bit of an unfulfilled careeer wouldn't you say?

Injuries, loss of form etc....


I too am surprised he is 30

Got to question his ambition.

He's spent his whole career as third or fourth choice centre back at Old Trafford.

You would have thought when he reached 25 or 26 he would have gone to Fergie and asked "Am I ever going to be first choice?" and when Fergie said no, asked for a transfer.

Surely better to be first choice at Aston Villa, Tottenham or Everton than a career bench warmer getting a medal or two every year but not actually earning it?

Wish I could have that lack of ambition and get paid £50,000 a week for it.

[kinboshi]

He's 30.

FFS, I must be getting old.

I would have guessed 24 or 25.

He won his first England cap in 1999!!!!!!!!!!

bit of an unfulfilled careeer wouldn't you say?

Injuries, loss of form etc....


I too am surprised he is 30

Got to question his ambition.

He's spent his whole career as third or fourth choice centre back at Old Trafford.

You would have thought when he reached 25 or 26 he would have gone to Fergie and asked "Am I ever going to be first choice?" and when Fergie said no, asked for a transfer.

Surely better to be first choice at Aston Villa, Tottenham or Everton than a career bench warmer getting a medal or two every year but not actually earning it?

Wish I could have that lack of ambition and get paid £50,000 a week for it.

I have the lack of ambition, so am 50% of the way there...just can't be arsed to take it any futher.

[david3103]

He's played in around 50% of games in seasons where he hasn't had injuries (34 league games in 07/8) and accumulated medals for
5 x Prem League,
2 x CL,
2 x FA Cup
and a Mickey Mouse Cup

he's fought back after injuries and whilst he could no doubt have gone off to Newcastle or Villa a season or so back he stuck at the club he started with. His kid brother is in the Academy team too.

How is that a lack of ambition?

[Ironside]

wes brown is problery getting more money as 3rd or 4th choice at man u that he would get being 1st choice at villa or spurs

phil N got most of his caps pre the move to everton

[The Camel]

wes brown is problery getting more money as 3rd or 4th choice at man u that he would get being 1st choice at villa or spurs

phil N got most of his caps pre the move to everton

Does it really matter if he would earn 10k less at villa or spurs or whoever?

Surely a professional footballer wants to play football, not sit on the bench and only play in Carling Cup, meaningless Champions League games or home games against relegation fodder.

[Ironside]

if someone was to offer me 10k a week more to warm the bench then i would say yeah why not that 500k a year 10 years that 5 million
hey thats enough live off for rest of my life and doesnt include the other 50-60k a week i am getting

[TheChipPrince]

wes brown is problery getting more money as 3rd or 4th choice at man u that he would get being 1st choice at villa or spurs

phil N got most of his caps pre the move to everton

Does it really matter if he would earn 10k less at villa or spurs or whoever?

Surely a professional footballer wants to play football, not sit on the bench and only play in Carling Cup, meaningless Champions League games or home games against relegation fodder.

Steve Harper at Newcastle is the one I always think of, is it something like 100 league games in 15 years!

[david3103]

wes brown is problery getting more money as 3rd or 4th choice at man u that he would get being 1st choice at villa or spurs

phil N got most of his caps pre the move to everton

Does it really matter if he would earn 10k less at villa or spurs or whoever?

Surely a professional footballer wants to play football, not sit on the bench and only play in Carling Cup, meaningless Champions League games or home games against relegation fodder.

Does that mean that all second/third choice keepers lack ambition?

Surely professional footballers want to win trophies?

[Longy]

if someone was to offer me 10k a week more to warm the bench then i would say yeah why not that 500k a year 10 years that 5 million
hey thats enough live off for rest of my life and doesnt include the other 50-60k a week i am getting

Yeah but 10k extra a week, isn't going to change Phil Neville/Wes Brown etc standard of life now or in the future. They are pretty much set up for life already assuming no major leaks/bad investments.

Therefore taking a pay cut to get to play week in/week out would be my preference, though I can see why someone players would want to stay with the team they have followed all their lives.

[Ironside]

if someone was to offer me 10k a week more to warm the bench then i would say yeah why not that 500k a year 10 years that 5 million
hey thats enough live off for rest of my life and doesnt include the other 50-60k a week i am getting

Yeah but 10k extra a week, isn't going to change Phil Neville/Wes Brown etc standard of life now or in the future. They are pretty much set up for life already assuming no major leaks/bad investments.

Therefore taking a pay cut to get to play week in/week out would be my preference, though I can see why someone players would want to stay with the team they have followed all their lives.

were using 10k as an example how much is brown on and how much could he get at another team could be 25%  or more pay cut i know i wouldnt take that so i have to work harder

[The Camel]

if someone was to offer me 10k a week more to warm the bench then i would say yeah why not that 500k a year 10 years that 5 million
hey thats enough live off for rest of my life and doesnt include the other 50-60k a week i am getting

Yeah but 10k extra a week, isn't going to change Phil Neville/Wes Brown etc standard of life now or in the future. They are pretty much set up for life already assuming no major leaks/bad investments.

Therefore taking a pay cut to get to play week in/week out would be my preference, though I can see why someone players would want to stay with the team they have followed all their lives.

were using 10k as an example how much is brown on and how much could he get at another team could be 25%  or more pay cut i know i wouldnt take that so i have to work harder

Thinking of it in % terms is wrong Iron.

Sure if you were earning £300 a week, you would have to have bloody good reasons to change jobs and accept £225.

But the difference between £40k a week and £30k is much smaller. With both after 5 years you will be set up for life.

Surely it's what you want to achieve as a player? You can look in the trophy cabinet and see all those medals, but in your heart you know you don't deserve to own them.

[Ironside]

if someone was to offer me 10k a week more to warm the bench then i would say yeah why not that 500k a year 10 years that 5 million
hey thats enough live off for rest of my life and doesnt include the other 50-60k a week i am getting

Yeah but 10k extra a week, isn't going to change Phil Neville/Wes Brown etc standard of life now or in the future. They are pretty much set up for life already assuming no major leaks/bad investments.

Therefore taking a pay cut to get to play week in/week out would be my preference, though I can see why someone players would want to stay with the team they have followed all their lives.

were using 10k as an example how much is brown on and how much could he get at another team could be 25%  or more pay cut i know i wouldnt take that so i have to work harder

Thinking of it in % terms is wrong Iron.

Sure if you were earning £300 a week, you would have to have bloody good reasons to change jobs and accept £225.

But the difference between £40k a week and £30k is much smaller. With both after 5 years you will be set up for life.

Surely it's what you want to achieve as a player? You can look in the trophy cabinet and see all those medals, but in your heart you know you don't deserve to own them.

really depend on how bad a gambler the player is
was it owen that was in debt for 500k a few season back

if it was me i would be needing the extra money to pay off my poker debts

[Simon Galloway]

I wonder if players in their twilight years ever think: "I have one more season left in me, let's go for a paycut and play at dogshit park - or 4 seasons if I stay here and warm the bench"?