Man Utd
Rooney Details £17m-a-Season Man Utd Deal as Former Teammates React
Rooney said his most lucrative contract paid £17m a season; peers contrasted old wages and security.
Wayne Rooney disclosed the size of the most lucrative contract of his Manchester United career: a package worth as much as £17 million per season, the equivalent of around £325,000 per week. The revelation prompted stunned reactions from Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jamie Carragher during a recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast on The Overlap network.
The discussion compared wages across generations. Neville recalled that at his peak in 2001 he signed a contract worth £1.5 million per season, just under £30,000 each week. Keane’s landmark deal at the end of 1999 had been worth £50,000, and the former midfielder’s best ever deal a few years later was around double that, an annual salary in the region of £5 million. Carragher said his best Liverpool contract paid £3 million, while Ian Wright’s most lucrative deal was worth £1.25 million annually at West Ham United, with Arsenal paying him less.
Rooney’s £17 million-per-season figure is not believed to be the contract that followed his public questioning of Manchester United’s ambition in 2010. Instead it relates to the five-year contract he signed in February 2014 at the age of 28.
Neville argued that his own choices around contracts were driven by security and loyalty. “Money was never a focus for me. I never once worried about the money side of it,” he said. “[I thought] if I can get to the end of my career, at 35 or 36, at Manchester United, then I know I’ll be alright. I wouldn’t earn as much money signing these long-term contracts, [but] being a one-club man, being at United, was the right thing to do.
“When they offered me a seven-year contract on lower money, it was better for me than going for three or four years at higher money. I always thought in a more cautious way, if I got injured.”
Neville recalled signing what he described as the most lucrative contract of his career around 2007 for £1.75 million per season with a £500,000 signing bonus, then suffering an injury in 2008 that kept him out for a year while his deal ran on. He also noted the impact of the 1995 Bosman ruling on later negotiations and said Rooney was “right to push the club” for the best contract. Keane added: “You kept signing long-term contracts, so you never had a good bargaining position. My contract was running out a couple of times, so I got a good bargaining position. It’s not being greedy, it’s self-worth. As a manager, I used to admire the players who’d fight their corner.”
Barcelona
Marcus Rashford’s latest Manchester United outing and what followed
Rashford is back at United, and his last appearance came in December 2024 against Viktoria Plzeň.
Marcus Rashford is back on Manchester United’s books, and the timing has brought fresh focus on how long it has been since he last played for the club. Barcelona allowed both the purchase option and release clause in Rashford’s contract to expire, opting instead to move for Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. United manager Michael Carrick has since confirmed that the winger will rejoin training with his boyhood club during the next part of the summer tour of northern Europe.
Carrick, speaking after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain, said: “I’ve played with him. I played in the game he made his debut, so we have a history,” Carrick said after Saturday’s 1–1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain. “We have got a full squad this week in Dublin. We fly straight there and have a few days where we have the whole group back together.
“Marcus is part of that, and Kobbie [Mainoo] and Lisandro [Martínez]. We look forward to seeing them.”
For supporters, Rashford’s return may take some adjustment, because his final appearance for United came some time ago. His most recent outing arrived against Viktoria Plzeň on Dec. 12, 2024, in the Europa League at the Doosan Arena in Plzeň, Czechia. He started as a second striker, positioned just behind Joshua Zirkzee, but found it difficult to influence the contest.
Rashford was withdrawn in the 56th minute, eight minutes after Plzeň had gone in front through Matěj Vydra. United then recovered, with Rasmus Højlund emerging as the decisive figure. The Danish forward, who has since left United for Napoli, scored soon after his introduction and added a second in the 88th minute to complete the comeback.
After that defeat, Rashford’s United career effectively stalled under then-manager Ruben Amorim. He was omitted from the squad for the Manchester derby against Manchester City three days later, although Amorim insisted the decision was not disciplinary. Rashford then stated that he was “ready for a new challenge.”
His absence continued for weeks, with more than 10 games missed and only one unused place on the bench. Amorim later said he would not choose any player unless he felt they were giving maximum effort every day.
A loan move to Aston Villa followed in February, giving Rashford a chance to reset. He produced a strong spell there, finishing with four goals and six assists in 17 appearances.
Man Utd
Anthony Martial’s rise and decline: from United’s record gamble to free agency
Martial’s United rise, role changes, injuries and release left a career that never matched its early promise.
Anthony Martial’s Manchester United story began with promise and ended with a sharp fall. When he arrived from Monaco in the summer of 2015, he was a surprise headline signing and a forward few outside France knew well. Yet the club paid heavily for his potential, with one add-on even linked to a Ballon d’Or win.
His background suggested a player built for the highest level. Born in the suburbs of Paris, Martial started out at Les Ulis before moving to Lyon at 14. He made his senior debut shortly after turning 17, then joined Monaco seven months later. In the principality, he progressed from the B team to the first team and eventually delivered 12 goals in 48 appearances in his second season.
United’s faith looked justified almost immediately. Martial scored on his debut against Liverpool with a solo run from the left, then followed that with two goals against Southampton. He also struck a stoppage-time winner against Everton in the FA Cup semifinal, helping set up the club’s first major trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. That first campaign finished with 11 Premier League goals and 17 in all competitions.
But his role changed when new competition arrived. Zlatan Ibrahimović took his No. 9 shirt, and later Romelu Lukaku pushed him further from the centre of the attack. Martial had his moments, but his numbers fluctuated and his starts often gave way to substitute appearances.
There was a bright spell in 2019-20 under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Used centrally, Martial produced 23 goals in all competitions and looked as though he had finally found the right platform. Instead, that proved to be his peak. His output dropped sharply afterwards, with injuries, fitness problems and a red card interrupting his rhythm.
Martial’s final United years brought a loan spell at Sevilla, where he failed to score in nine La Liga appearances, before his contract ended in 2024. Across his best two seasons at the club, he scored 40 goals in 97 matches, but his last four years produced only 19 in 95. A free transfer to AEK Athens brought seven goals in 16 Super League Greece appearances, though the limited number of games underlined how far his career had drifted.
Fulham
Manchester United face fresh Lewis Hall setback as Newcastle dig in
United lose ground on Hall as Newcastle plan to keep the defender and strengthen their stance.
Manchester United’s hopes of landing Lewis Hall have taken another hit, with the Newcastle United left back now expected to stay at St James’ Park this summer.
Hall had been identified as a leading option to strengthen the left side of the pitch at Old Trafford, where work still remains if United are to mount a serious challenge for silverware next season. Michael Carrick is still searching for additions in midfield and at left back, but the England youth international appears set to remain out of reach for now.
“I do not expect Lewis Hall to be coming to Man United,” journalist David Ornstein revealed on The Athletic FC podcast. “Following the departure of Eddie Howe, Newcastle will be more determined to keep him, maybe even tie him down to a new contract.”
That stance is understandable. Hall is under contract until June 2029 and Newcastle are looking to preserve stability after a difficult period. The club has already seen Anthony Gordon move to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali join Tottenham Hotspur, while Bruno Guimarães is seemingly headed to Arsenal. Alexander Isak also departed last September, a loss that fed into Newcastle’s 12th-place finish in the Premier League in 2025-26. With Howe stepping down and Matthias Jaissle now in charge, there is little appetite for further disruption.
If United cannot get a deal done, they will have to look elsewhere. Luke Shaw, at 31 and carrying a difficult injury record, cannot be the only natural left back in the squad. Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Ayden Heaven and Lisandro Martínez can all cover, but with Tyrell Malacia gone and Champions League soccer returning, the need for another senior left back is clear.
Antonee Robinson has already been mentioned as an alternative. The Fulham defender, 28, brings six seasons of Premier League experience and arrives off a strong World Cup campaign with the U.S. men’s national team. He would offer a short-term answer while United continue to pursue Hall, or another younger option, in the years ahead.
