Who else fails to earn their keep in football?

Many of football's biggest earners are those who wait for contracts to expire, then nab a 'Bosman' free transfer - in return for sky-high wages.

But for every Steve McManaman, who plays a pivotal role at Real Madrid, there is a Marc Bosnich - now third-choice keeper at Chelsea.

Others who have plenty of free time to spend their less-than-hard-earned cash include Winston Bogarde (Chelsea) and Francis Jeffers (Arsenal).

And Elena Marcellino, who cost �5m from Real Mallorca, has made just 15 league appearances in three years for Newcastle.

Who are football's biggest spongers?

This debate is now closed

Bosnich's wages should have been inversely linked to his waistline. The bigger the waist, the smaller the paycheck. He probably currently owes Chelsea!
Kerry, London, England

Roy Keane - earning a fortune as a footballer, but rarely playing because he's too busy writing books, attacking fellow professionals and arguing with everybody inside the game - and all this from a Man Utd supporter!
Phil, Manchester, UK

If clubs followed the way West Brom are setting the pace by offering incentive-led contracts, English clubs would not be in this mess. Mark my words: football will be thankful in years to come, for the way West Bromwich Albion are leading the way in player/contract negotiations.
Dark Winter, USA

It is sad when doctors actually save lives, not goals, and get paid less for doing a darn sight more.
Andy, Japan

A few lucky people in sport get a lot of money for doing very little, but what about the people that buy lottery tickets? Are they not wanting to be part of the something-for-next-to-nothing society too? Let's face it - if they offered it we'd take it too!
Peter Hayes, England

Owen's performances this season been poor? If you watched more than just the goals on Football Focus, you'd realise that your statement is ludicrous.

Next, Heggem a sponger? Garbage. He's been out for two years injured, you don't expect him to just waltz back into possibly the most difficult defence to get past in the world, just like that. He's still recuperating in the reserves.

And Biscan, again, with a midfield of the quality of Liverpool, it's nearly impossible to get first team options. He's not better than Murphy, Hamann, or Gerrard so he's hardly going to get much in midfield. He's not sponging, he's back up.

Seemingly too many people think that if a player isn't in the first choice 11, he's a sponger! That's crazy. No team would get anywhere only using 11 players.
Lloyd, UK

Rodders, Ireland: Do you want some salt and pepper to eat your words with? Veron was outstanding last night and has been throughout this year's last year's Champions League campaign. Granted, he has not fulfilled his potential in the Premiership, but he is improving at a rate of knots.

Forlan has not scored enough goals but his work rate is fantastic, and as for having a go at Silvestre, this just proves how little you know about football. I suggest that before you criticise players that you research something before you comment!
Jason, Manchester, England

The point that nobody has yet mentioned is why the players are being paid so much? People claim there should be a wage cap. Rubbish! I'd be really annoyed if a club was making millions in merchandise with my name on, images (be it photos or whatever) of myself if my wages were something close to �500 a week when they make triple that an hour on my name, or the fact I play for the club.

It doesn't all come from the players' performances, although granted that if you play well or are a 'pretty boy', merchandise sales will be higher than the Iain Dowies of the world would make on their images alone.
Mr Pessimism, UK

Re: Bosko Balaban - please pay this player the respect he is due - spell his name right, and besides, isn't he on loan in Croatia and playing in the Uefa Cup?
Jon, UK

With Winston Bogarde - you cannot blame him really. As he says, if he moves on he will get paid 75% less. Would you take another job for 75% less? Blame the clubs for throwing their money around on the whim of a manager who has no real appreciation of finance and who gets fired shortly after having wasted the money.

With regards to Bosnich, he didn't cost a fee, and is still a quality player if he has to come in for Cuddicini, so that is not money down the drain.
Steve Smith, UK

I wouldn't mind being paid �40,000 a year, never mind a week, to sit on my backside all day with a few sit-ups and jogging around for five days a fortnight.
David Jameson, England

The real problem is this "squad" system, which requires a team aiming to stay in the Premiership (never mind win it) to have at least 16 players of "star" quality available to play at some point in that week's game.

Inevitably, since they might not all get on to the pitch, some of the players are actually idle from week to week, hence the stories about �40,000 a week reserves.

A secondary problem is the amount they earn, for that blame the stupidity of the financial controllers of the individual teams.

Finally, and this is the root problem, most of these high priced second string players are not from the home countries, never mind being English and qualifying to play for the national team.

I noticed that the team selection at the head of this particular piece did not have one player from the home countries in it.
Ron, England

I'm afraid clubs reap what they sow. Ken Bates has done this for years at Chelsea, throwing good money after bad, building a megalomaniac empire to himself at the Bridge, employing no end of pampered show-ponies.

When they're not taking out their model girlfriends or fighting damaging court cases, they're busy taking more out of the pot provided by the benevolent Shed-enders paying over �1000 a year to watch Uefa Cup action.
David Rainford, United Kingdom

As a Chelsea season ticket-holder it is depressing to see the club spending so much on players that sit in the reserves. Bogarde and Bosnich are average players with big reputations and it is that reputation that earns them �40k a week.

The real villains are the fools that gave them the contracts, that is Colin Hutchison, who sacked Gullit because he wanted �40k a week!

Bosnich and Bogarde cannot be blamed if a "suit" wants to give them a big contract. Chelsea sold Thome for �4.5m and took Bogarde for nothing and Hutchison said that it was a good deal.

Basically, football managers should be left to buy the players. When Chelsea played Barcelona in 1999, Bogarde was targeted all game as the weak link - why would Vialli want him!
James, London

It's got to be Bosko Balaban at Aston Villa. The man was bought for �6m and hasn't started or scored in a single game. This unfortunately occurs quite a bit at Villa, Stan Collymore and Hassan Kachoul to name but a few.
Stephen Moore, Ireland

'Endure the frustration' of sitting on the bench Rich, from England(below)? Surely it's not that dramatic an experience is it?

You get paid the sort of money per week that most people would be over the moon to earn in a year. Not forgetting that you have the option to move somewhere else for a nice tidy sum if you're not in the first team.

Compensating those on the bench for not playing would be criminal at best.
Greg Benedict, UK

Forlan must be top of this league. Although he plays in almost every game, I have never seen him before about the 75th minute. I'd love to get may salary for 15 minutes per week of work.
Keith L, UK

I like the way you include ol' Bosko Balaban, a player who is now playing for Dinamo Zagreb and scoring regularly for them. A waste of Villa's money and a waste of talent.
Rob

I think footballers' high wages are going to spell big trouble for many clubs.

Surely it already shows - clubs like Leicester, Derby and Ipswich, previously Premier clubs and now Division One clubs, are struggling mainly due to these high player wages.

If nothing is done about high player wages some great clubs will soon disappear and who knows may mean end of a great game like football.
Sukhvinder Banga, Leicester, UK

It's part and parcel of having a large squad. You can't keep everyone playing, you can't keep everyone happy. Ask yourself, in your current job have you ever just felt you get on with it and get paid at the end of the day? How do you expect a footballer who is in a "large team" to be any different?
Michael Houllier, England

Most players at Blackburn between 1995 and 2001! Warhurst, Dahlin, McKinlay, Batty, Holmes, Wilcox, Ostenstad, Dailly, Frandsen, Bohinen et al.....
Phil Morris, Sweden

Good to see that the armchair fans have got something else to complain about. Salary caps? Pay as you play? Beckham and Fowler spongers?? As always it would seem your messages come from the prawn sandwich brigade.

I think Ronaldo knocks any of them into a cocked hat. �18m from Inter over three years, and he played 17 games. Then when he was fit, ups and goes to Madrid. Horrible little man.
Paul Bestall, Sheffield, England

Take a look at Emile Heskey, I wouldn't even pay him to clean my boots, a waste of money for a 100% useless player.
Steve, Wales

What's all this about Beckham being a sponge? I think all the folks on his case would give their right leg to have him in their team! A sponge is a player happy to play reserve team football and never challenge for a starting place. How does Beckham equate to this definition?
Henry, UK

Fabrizio "injured when he needs a trip back home" Ravanelli, and Benito "30 grand a week, kiss my badge when I score for whoever and call it loyalty" Carbone are the classic duo......still, who's to blame? An average exotically-named leech or the Mr Richmonds of this world?

Seems to me they deserve each other and will both suffer very soon when the gravy dries up. Perhaps it's time that clubs wake up and get some players on performance contracts.

Also, the balance of power is changing and they will soon have a glut of players to choose from and be able to drive the prices down. I think then we'll see who's a sponger and who's a useful squad player.
Matt Hatton, Italy

Bosnich; Heggem, Neville, Bogarde, Biscan; Keane, Scholes, Veron, Beckham; Berger, Ferguson.
Parm , UK

Clubs should be able to terminate the contract of any player not giving effort in matches and training, or of those who turn out to not be good enough.

That's what happens in any other walk of life. If I decided at work that I'd had enough and was just going to do a bare minimum to get paid, I'd be dismissed. But yet again, footballers are different, as in the Roy Keane and Dennis Wise affairs, and the farcical TV rights row with the PFA, who incidentally are the cause of most of these problems.
Mark, England

As a Blackburn supporter I feel this debate is just waiting for me. Where do I start? Egil Ostenstad, Martin Dahlin, Sebastian Perez, Kevin Davies...oh dear oh dear, at least Grabbi is scoring now.
Christian Lacey-Brennan, S. Wales

Couldn't agree more with Jarek's comments - but then if you were being offered that sort of money, you wouldn't exactly be all socialist and resign would you?

Something does need to be done about leeches like Bosnich, however. Players should be released if not needed, and certainly there is too much player power.

I don't feel sorry at all for some players who are not playing at the highest level and whinge about the number of games they have to play. They will be financially secure for life if they invest their money wisely.

Players will only come off cloud cuckoo land when Uefa and Fifa start getting tough about contracts. But I don't think they ever will. Agents are probably the root of the problem - the sooner these pseudo-celebrities are weeded out, the better.
Sidney, Newcastle, England

I think some players don't 'fail to earn their keep', so much as not having the chance to. Heggem's fall from grace for example was precipitated by injury, and I think he is injured now, playing Norwegian Fantasy Football games.

Other Liverpool lads like Biscan and Diomede cannot really be blamed - the scouts who suggested they would be good enough for the first team must take the blame.

At the end of the day, boards/managers must take responsibility for offering people wages to do nothing, just as they should take the credit when they get it right. Who in their right minds amongst us would turn down a massive contract on the grounds that you fear you might not be worth it?
Adam, UK

Why are all of these 'spongers' not on loan at the lower clubs? I bet you there are a few clubs in the First Divison that could do with the likes of Bosnich and Heggem! Then the game would become more exciting even at the lower levels of the game!
Anthony Rock, London, England

I was disheartened at the weekend when after the City v Liverpool game when I saw three Liverpool "stars" waiting around looking bored and doing nothing when there were children waiting for their autographs. They did sign a few, but only for about 10 seconds until the coach came! Overpaid prima donnas!!
Scott, England

Giles de Bilde when at Sheffield Wednesday: �20k a week, couldn't care less. When we released him to Anderlecht he stated that he wish he could've stayed for one more year to help his bank balance.
Ben, Jersey

Not just players - Daniel Levy is taking a fair bit of cash to fail to sign players at White Hart Lane. Mind you he did 'nearly sign' Rivaldo!
Gary, UK.

Bosnich is not languishing in the reserves, he doesn't even play for them. He is paid �40k p/w to train for five days a week and he gets the weekends off because he refuses to sit on the bench. Players are afforded too much protection nowadays at the expense of clubs.
Kobi, UK

Juan Sebastian Veron has to be put in here for all the money Man U paid for his services and wages, as he has not lived up to expectations and only shows glimpses of his quality and class from his Lazio days and he's had a lot of time to adapt.
Scott Adam, Scotland

If anything, players who are denied the opportunity to play first-team football should be compensated - not penalised. These players do all the hard work alongside the first team in training, but then have to endure the frustration at not being able to put all that hard work to good use on the big stage.
Rich, England

Without doubt, the biggest waste of space in the Premiership is Darren Anderton. There cannot be many Spurs fans who have any time for this poor excuse for a sportsman. You should be booking his fare to Leeds in the hope they are silly enough to take him sometime soon.
Paul Samber, UK

The biggest shame around is Clyde Wijnhard. A great forward who spurned Preston NE and others for a high salary. He is now doing well at Oldham, and good luck to Clyde and Oldham. However, I cannot believe he is earning what he hoped for, so I'm sure you'd be welcome back at PNE, but on reasonable terms (well done Preston for not giving in)!
PNE Keith, Ooop north

You can't really blame the players. Given the opportunity we all, without fail, negotiate the best possible pay packet for ourselves. It comes back to the old equation of supply and demand - if the public are willing to pay via gate money and TV fees for this situation, then it will continue as long as the money is there. If it gives us the best league in the world, who cares anyway!
Paul Little, England

The entire philosophy of this shabby piece is flawed. It assumes these players are happy to be languishing in the reserves, which is far from true. They will still be training as hard as those in the first team, yet they get none of the glory by being part of the top flight games. Do you really imagine that they enjoy this situation. To refer to them as spongers is stupid.
Graham James, UK

In response to John from England's comments (below) regarding myself. I call Silvestre, Blanc, Beckham, Veron and Forlan spongers because, although they play every week, they don't seem to do much.

Beckham is the highest paid footballer in the Premiership but hardly warrants a �5m transfer fee. All Beckham can do is win and take a free-kick and cross a ball.

Granted, he does this well but does that warrant him being the highest paid footballer? He cannot go past defenders, doesn't tackle back any-more and for a tall player how many headed goals does he score?

Silvestre makes plenty of mistakes in defence, possibly not as many as Blanc but put these two together and you see where Man Utd get their defensive problems.

Veron has proved to be �28m well spent, has he? Just what exactly has he done in a Man Utd shirt to warrant a price like that? I truly believe Alex Ferguson could have brought in a First Division player who would have had more of an impact at Utd than Veron has had.

I don't even need to critise Forlan, his goal ratio speaks for itself. Finally, as for me being a "strange man", is anybody with a view regarding Man Utd which does not fit your own strange?
Rodders, Ireland

I believe that in the economy we live in, players should be made redundant if there is no position for them at the club, rather than the clubs having to pay off their long term contracts. Football, it seems, is a closed shop to EU rules, whereas joe public working on a building site, in a shop, or even in the city can be made redundant and forced to live off the settlement agreements they receive.

People may argue that it will affect the lower leagues even harder, putting them out of work, but I say that is tough. If you are good at your job, you can move on to bigger and better things and deserve the rewards.

Even players in the conference are demanding a few thousand a week now, which is unbelievable. I believe that clubs should introduce tiered contracts whereby upon relegation, players wages are instantly cut. That would make them worth their while, and save clubs like Leicester, Derby and Ipswich when they go down.
Jarek, London

Titi Camara must still be playing reserve football at West Ham for a small fortune. Augustin Delgado has made two appearances for the Saints in a year after a huge salary was given to him, although he was miraculously fit for the World Cup.

The biggest sponger of them all though is Duncan Ferguson! He has a history of being unfit and picking up huge paycheques - and when he gets fit he is rubbish anyway.
Dave R, England

I have to agree with comments regarding Beckham, Bosnich et al, but it's hardly surprising that these things are happening. Football's governing bodies should seriously look at implementing wage caps before it's too late.
Michael Walker, UK

I think naming Vergaard Heggem as a freeloader is a bit harsh. He has been injured for two years, and I'm sure he would like nothing more than to be fit and play for his place. Your criticism should be reserved for players that remain 'fit' but don't show the determination and professionalism required to earn themselves a first team place.
Steve, England

The likes of Mark Bosnich and Winston Bogarde make Chelsea a laughing stock. They do nothing and still pick up a �40,000 pay packet each week. It shows how power has swung in football in the 21st century.
Ayman Fazeli, Manchester, UK

Not sure where Rodders (below) gets the idea that Silvestre, Blanc, Beckham, Veron and Forlan are spongers from. They play most weeks - strange man!
John, England

Jason (below), I have to stand up for Owen. While his strike rate before Saturday was poor, his work rate this season has been fantastic, and other than his shooting, he's probably been playing better than last season.

However, once you've spent a short time on massive wages and you don't have any financial worries for the rest of your life, how are you expected to be as motivated as someone who needs to get the win bonus to pay the bills?

Once a player has no need for more money, it's the manager's job to motivate them and give them pride in the club shirt. Don't forget, these people are human!
Nick, England

How on earth can Beckham be a sponger? His work rate is up there with the best - for club and country.
Rog, UK

We had quite a few at Liverpool, but we gave Redknapp to injuries FC, and got �11m for his best impersonator - Mr Fowler. West Ham were kind enough to pay Titi and Rigobert's wages, with leaves us with only Heggem, who might be fit before the turn of the century.

Bizarrely though, we took the worst player on Merseyside from Goodison, where they seem to have taken injuries and rubbish players onto a new level. Xavier is probably Houllier's biggest mistake, but we'll let him of as he's proving himself to be the best manager in the league.
Nick, England

From now on, I think contracts should have a pay as you play scheme involved in them. This would lower outgoings for clubs, get rid of some of these useless foreigners and maybe encourage English youth football to grow in the UK.

Obviously if a player is injured he should get paid, but clubs would be encouraged not to buy injury prone players.
Chris Brandrick, UK

Dave Bassett. Never has a man been paid so much to do so little and relegate so many.
Matt, England

Manchester United have a few players that fit into this category. Veron, Blanc, Forlan, Silvestre and, of course, Beckham.
Rodders, Ireland

Admittedly Duncan Ferguson puts the effort in when he is really needed for Everton, but sometimes you forget he plays for the club!
Jonathan, England

Why restrict the term 'sponger' to players? Peter Reid doesn't seem to be doing much for his salary at the moment. After the Newcastle defeat he had a week off!
Ian, England

Not just Mark Bosnich, but most of the players bought in by Chelsea over the last 10 years seem to have been on a gravy train, even those who get regular games. Interesting to see Ken Bates dodge the issue on Chelsea's debts on Football Focus last Saturday.
Jon, Sheffield, UK

I would have to agree with Tim regarding Becks. He's a world-class player, no doubt, but he has not been playing world class. The same goes for Michael Owen. Despite his hat-trick at the weekend, his performances during the season's opening have been pretty poor too.

There are spongers in every team. If the clubs like Chelsea are stupid enough to pay these stupid wages to these spongers, then more power (or is it less work?) to the spongers because clearly, they can get away with it!
Jason, UK

Every club has at least a couple of these guys, usually referred to as "fringe players" or "squad players". Of course they earn a lot for being in the reserves or on the bench, but unless you pay them roughly on a par with the rest of the squad at their club they are not going to hang around.
Martin, England

It's the clubs' faults that these situations have arisen, not the players. They're the ones who signed up all these "great players" on long term, costly contracts. Players like Winston Bogarde and Mark Bosnich are just reaping the benefits of their clubs' short -sighted belief that they could buy championships. And who can blame them, would you be unhappy if you were offered a new job at double the wage for less work?
Glenn Tookey, England

It's no surprise that Chelsea have financial problems if they are paying their reserve team big bucks. The dangers are highlighted further by Carbone at Bradford who is almost single-handedly bankrupting the club without losing a single night's sleep.
Brown, UK

Sergei Rebrov must be high on this list. He cost �11m and must be on a top wage and has scored how many goals in five years? Single figures I think. I know it's not all his fault but he has hardly shone when given his opportunities. Now he is off on a free at the end of the year!
Geoff Watts, England

Sergei Rebrov - is Hoddle ever going to sell him or give him a run in the team? I'm sure he earns a few pence that could be used to make a bid for someone like Zamora at Brighton.
Brian Weir, England, Essex

Footballers have it so good for so long. OK, their careers might finish when they are 35. But the majority of us could work until we are 100 and not earn the amount of money they earn.

What would be wrong with footballers finishing their playing careers at 35 and getting a real job? This way we would weed out the hangers on, and end up with players who are dedicated, hard working and playing for the jersey.
Charles Watson, Scotland

There are loads who sign a brilliant wage contract, then don't seem to ever play or perform. The biggest waste of anyone's money must be Duncan Ferguson. Clubs have spent millions on him, yet he never seems to play. You can't blame anyone for being injured, but to play 10 games a season seems a waste of money to me.

Then you've got the likes of Luke Chadwick, Richard Dunn, Van Brockhorst, Ray Parlour, these players who are not going to be first choice, but may get called upon when times are bad with injuries ... what do they do when they aren't in the squad?
Michael Ince, Manchester, England

Wolves.
Jim, England

I don't know the actual figures, but would be intrigued to find out how much Watford's former Premiership Vialli signings (Steven Glass, Stephen Hughes etc.) are earning at Vicarage Rd. I bet the bald headed one has left the Hornets in a right fix - no wonder Sir Elton bailed...
Mark Elliott, UK

Tim (below), I think you missed the point of this debate. Beckham plays every game for Man Utd when he isn't injured and despite not doing anything spectacular yet still works as hard as ever. This debate is about players who don't play much but still earn huge pay packets.
Mark, Wales

As long as there is money sloshing around in football, there will always be wastage, same in any field of employment (typically bankers... what do they do for their six figure bonuses?).

The world is full of get-rich-quick wannabes and as long as people who read the likes of Hello mag keep reading them, there will be another member of society to waste their hard-earned cash supporting these laggards.

The only people who can stop this happening is the public. It's a vicious circle that is fuelled by the money people earn - if they don't spend it supporting these people then these laggards might have to do a day's graft... perish the thought!!
John Mc, England

Do any footballers really earn what they are getting paid? I think not.
DaveB, UK

Marcelino at Newcastle must be the number one for not earning their keep.
Brian Robinson, United Kingdom

Rebrov at Spurs! We brought him in on a 'big' wage (at least big for Spurs) and he doesn't play. It may not be his fault, but his life can't exactly be difficult?
Ben Ramsay, UK

Careful! Don't let Gordon Taylor hear you call his precious babies "spongers". They all work hard for their money, and in fact, probably deserve more!

Patrick Blondeau at Watford last season was the textbook definition of sponger. Interested in his bank balance alone. If you asked him, I doubt if he could name the club he played for last season.

Espen Baardsen is another. This highly paid stopper is not even getting a game in the Watford reserves!
Mike Parkin, UK

It has got to be Mark Bosnich, the man is lazy! If I had half his week's wages it would see me through college for the next four years.
S Moore, Ireland

Finidi George of Ipswich. For a highly paid 'winger' who has won the European Cup with Ajax, he'd make a good ice-skater.
Athole, Wales

Lothar Mattheus, took our league - MLS - for a million dollars, while reportedly spending most of that summer 'resting his back' on topless beaches in France.
Preston, USA

What about Lauren Charvet at Man City? He was reportedly the highest-paid player at the club during Joe Royle's time, and his sky-high wages and lack of appearances contributed to Royle's sacking.
Ian, UK

What exactly is Steve McManaman doing at Real Madrid? After the number of times they have tried to offload him, you would think that maybe he'd take a hint...Real obviously don't think his huge wages are money well spent.

You can't blame him for hanging around on that money, but to suggest he's earning it is a joke.
Andy Matthews, Manchester, UK

Liverpool have got their fair share - Diomede, Biscan, Heggem. Must be a result of Houllier's 'Supermarket Sweep' buying policy. The man has bought so many midfielders, you can only conclude he wants to have a real go at winning the North West Reserve League for this year. Still, better than nothing.
Charlie, UK

This might be a little controversial, but David Beckham has to be up there. Since he signed his extremely lucrative contract, he hasn't done an awful lot for Man United. Of course he'll always be worth the money, purely from the marketing side of things, but his best performances have increasingly come for England, rather than for the club that pays his wages.
Tim, England