The highest-paid Premier player from every season since the league began has been revealed – and some of the wages are eye-watering.
When the first division became the Premier League in 1992, an influx of cash and new foreign talent flowed through the ranks of the teams.
Several things have changed since then, with the first edition of the league even including 22 teams that had broken away from the Football League.
However, nothing sums up the development of the division more than how the player’s wages have changed.
According to ONS, the median gross annual earnings for full-time employees in the UK for 2024 was £37,430.
However, even young footballers can earn more than this in just a week, with the average wage of a Premier League player thought to be around £60,000 per week, according to PFSA.
But the top performers can earn five times this amount. But who tops the earnings table from 1992 to the present day?
Premier League top earner list
1992/93: John Barnes – £10,000-a-week
1993/94: John Barnes – £10,000-a-week
1994/95: Eric Cantona – £18,000-a-week
1995/96: Dennis Bergkamp – £25,000-a-week
1996/97: Fabrizio Ravanelli – £42,000-a-week
1997/98: Alan Shearer – £34,000-a-week
1998/99: Alan Shearer – £34,000-a-week
1999/00: Roy Keane – £52,000-a-week
2000/01: Roy Keane – £52,000-a-week
2001/02: Roy Keane – £90,000-a-week
2002/03: Roy Keane – £94,000-a-week
2003/04: Hernan Crespo – £94,000-a-week
2004/05: Frank Lampard – £98,000-a-week
2005/06: Steven Gerrard – £100,000-a-week
2006/07: Andriy Shevchenko – £118,000-a-week
2007/08: John Terry – £135,000-a-week
2008/09: Robinho – £160,000-a-week
2009/10: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week
2010/11: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week
2011/12: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week
2012/13: Carlos Tevez – £250,000-a-week
Gareth Bale was a top earner in 2020/21 (Credit:Getty)
2013/14: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week
2014/15: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week
2015/16: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week
2016/17: Wayne Rooney – £300,000-a-week
2017/18: Alexis Sanchez – £350,000-a-week
2018/19: Alexis Sanchez – £350,000-a-week
2019/20: David de Gea – £375,000-a-week
2020/21: Gareth Bale – £560,000-a-week (majority paid by Real Madrid)
2021/22: Cristiano Ronaldo – £480,000-a-week
2022/23: Kevin De Bruyne – £400,000-a-week
2023/24: Kevin De Bruyne – £400,000-a-week
2024/25: Kevin De Bruyne – £400,000-a-week
This may be set to change though, as De Bruyne is in the final year of his current contract at Man City. Featured Image Credit: Getty
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