Have you ever wondered what footballers are making on average compared to you?
Well, one former England goalkeeper got candid about what he was paid each week at West Brom and how much money he was given just to appear at a game.
Ben Foster, formerly a West Bromwich and Wrexham goalkeeper, took to his podcast Fozcast to explain how much he got paid and even read out his contract while being filmed detailing his various clauses.
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The 40-year-old began his career with Stoke in 2001 and found himself passed around on loan until settling in with Manchester United in 2005 in the Premier League.
But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that we learned how much it paid to be a goalkeeper for one of his teams.
Having previously left Wrexham in August and going back into retirement after having made 12 appearances, he went on to talk about how much it would cost to have him attend.
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And it’s more than a simple bonus for you or me.
Whilst some office workers will be given a congratulatory nod for getting in on time, Foster says he was handed £6,000 to appear at games.
Not only did he reveal what his appearance rate was, but he also gave us a look into what he earned on average.
Foster said: “In my first contract in 2012 at West Brom, I think it was £40,000 a week.
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“I was one of the higher earners, I definitely wasn't the top earner but one of the higher earners.”
He revealed that his wage would have been cut had he remained at West Brom in the Championship if they had been relegated.
Foster said: “I had a clause in my contract. My wages went down to £25,000 if we got relegated.
“So, I would have been in the Championship with West Brom, with three years left on my deal, on £25,000 a week.
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“If we had got promoted again the very next season, they would have gone back up to £40,000.”
Having left West Brom to join Watford after the Baggies had been relegated from the Premier League at the end of 2017, he went on to stay at Vicarage Road for four seasons before first retiring in 2022.
But he was soon tempted out of retirement by Wrexham, who was bought by famous actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2020.
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After joining Wrexham, he was a key player in helping the team to get back up and running during his 12 appearances.
Coming out of retirement to sign a short-term deal in March, he saved a stoppage-time penalty against Notts County one month later, which put Wrexham so close to an automatic promotion from the National League - which earned him a very special gift from Reynolds.
Releasing a statement about his time there, Foster admitted that though he was retiring again, adding: "Wrexham will always have a special place in my heart."
Topics: Football, Wrexham FC, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, News, YouTube
Britt Jones