PFA: Status is key for big name players
Contract negotiations for the best footballers are often more about status than the number of noughts on a wage slip, according to players union representative Mick McGuire.
Fans are questioning why Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is close to leaving Anfield even though he has two years left on his current deal and has been offered a substantial hike in wages.
The club have this week upped their proposal, but the 25-year-old is said to be unhappy that the club did not offer more money sooner.
Some Reds supporters believe he should be happy with an already huge salary and the honour of captaining the club he has supported all his life.
But McGuire, deputy chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, believes contract talks often hinge on how valued the player is made to feel.
He said: “It isn’t always about the monetary level. It’s about being appreciated.”
McGuire also points out that in helping the club win the Champions League, Gerrard deserves a share in the huge revenues flowing into Anfield on the back of their win over AC Milan.
“Players have to maximise their income and there are a lot of other benefactors in that club because of his performances,” he added.
“Clearly, if you’re looking at salary, having been captain of the team and massively influential in winning the Champions League, one would expect him to be one of the best two or three paid players in the country.
“There aren’t many who have won the Champions League this season.”
