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From Wayne Rooney To David Beckham: Top 10 Most Expensive English Footballers Of All Time
Goal.com looks at the English players who have emptied the piggybank...
| Bet: | Returns: | Man Utd. £19.00 | Draw £34.00 | Liverpool £40.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Man Utd. £20.00 | Draw £30.00 | Liverpool £43.30 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Man Utd. £19.09 | Draw £35.00 | Liverpool £42.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Man Utd. £20.00 | Draw £34.00 | Liverpool £40.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Man Utd. £20.00 | Draw £34.50 | Liverpool £41.00 |
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Aug 19, 2010 8:00:00 AM
By Richard Parry
With Manchester City having completed the drawn-out signing of Aston Villa’s James Milner on Wednesday, for a fee believed to be in the region of £18 million, Goal.com UK decided to take a look at the most expensive English footballers of all time.
Of course, the big names are there. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney all make the cut; but such has been the influx of wealth in the modern game, former headline names such as Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer, who in 1996 set a British transfer record after he joined from Blackburn Rovers for £15 million, fail to make the list.
Well, not all of the time. With huge transfer fees carry huge expectations, and it’s safe to say that not all of the deals that make our top 10 have proven to be worth their weight in gold.
Here are the top ten most expensive English footballers of all time...
The man chosen by Fabio Capello to replace John Terry as captain, before getting injured and missing the entirety of this summer’s World Cup finals, is the most expensive English player of all time.
Ferdinand has been a colossus at Old Trafford; winning a total of 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles, two League Cups, and the Champions League.
Wayne Rooney is quickly becoming a cult hero at Old Trafford, and with 131 goals for the club already, it’s hardly a surprise.
‘Wazza’ has improved year-on-year since joining the Red Devils, and having bagged 34 goals in 44 appearances last season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s hefty investment has been more than justified.
It takes a lot to prize a player away from his boyhood club, not to mention Manchester United, but when Real Madrid come knocking – and football boots come flying – you sit up, and take notice.
Beckham experienced a mixed time at the Bernabeu, particularly under Capello. Nonetheless, ‘Golden Balls’, despite only collecting one La Liga title and Supercopa during his tenure in Spain, was a worthy edition to the infamous Galacticos.
When plotting the domination of world football in England, Sheikh Mansour was more likely to be dreaming of days at Royal Ascot than signing Lescott.
Recruited by Mark Hughes, the former Everton man has yet to deliver at Eastlands, and at a cost of £733,000 per appearance, you’d be wiser backing a racehorse.
The fact that City were allowed to resign the winger at a cut-price £9 million shows that his time at Stamford Bridge was less than triumphant.
Despite making over 120 appearances for Chelsea, Wright-Phillips was never able to consolidate his place in the starting eleven, and all too often found himself sat on the sidelines, or in the stands.
Sir Alex is a wily old manager, but many United fans would have been left questioning the old fox’s judgement after shedding out the best part of £20 million on a player who Spurs had signed for £2.75m two years before.
However, despite a slow start to his Red Devils’ career, Carrick is certainly not flopping like Juan Sebastian Veron, and his composed play in the centre of the park seems to have won him more plaudits than criticisms.
Only time will tell whether the former Leeds and Newcastle man will be the latest craze in Manchester, but few will arrive there with the same determination as Milner.
£18 million plus Stephen Ireland seems a steeper fee than the reported total value of £26 million, but at a club where cash is countless, the deal makes more sense than not.
Yet again Rio makes the list, but Leeds were signing a different product altogether in 2000 to the one they’d sell two years later.
At West Ham, Ferdinand was immensely talented, but with a hint of the Titus Bramble syndrome, and would often look to play his way out of trouble. But during his brief tenure at Elland Road, Rio introduced a type of no-nonsense defending which Norman Hunter would have been proud of.
Having failed to make the mark at Chelsea, Johnson turned down the opportunity of a second stint at Stamford Bridge in favour of a move to Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool.
The England full back has seen the start to his Anfield career pegged back by troublesome injuries; but when he has played, he’s added the width and acceleration that the Kop have craved for years.
England’s best performer by far during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ferguson made Hargreaves his number one transfer target, and finally completed the deal a year later.
Three years on, the midfielder’s career is seemingly hanging by a thread, but his undoubted quality will continue to fuel his manager’s faith in a full recovery; something which the whole country is longing for.
With Manchester City having completed the drawn-out signing of Aston Villa’s James Milner on Wednesday, for a fee believed to be in the region of £18 million, Goal.com UK decided to take a look at the most expensive English footballers of all time.
Of course, the big names are there. The likes of Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney all make the cut; but such has been the influx of wealth in the modern game, former headline names such as Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer, who in 1996 set a British transfer record after he joined from Blackburn Rovers for £15 million, fail to make the list.
MONEY MATTERS
Well, not all of the time. With huge transfer fees carry huge expectations, and it’s safe to say that not all of the deals that make our top 10 have proven to be worth their weight in gold.
Here are the top ten most expensive English footballers of all time...
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Name: Rio Ferdinand Position: Centre back From: Leeds United To: Manchester United Fee: £31.1 million Date Joined: July 2002 Age at time of transfer: 23 Appearances: 331 Goals: 7 |
The man chosen by Fabio Capello to replace John Terry as captain, before getting injured and missing the entirety of this summer’s World Cup finals, is the most expensive English player of all time.
Ferdinand has been a colossus at Old Trafford; winning a total of 11 trophies, including four Premier League titles, two League Cups, and the Champions League.
Success Rating: 
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Name: Wayne Rooney Position: Striker From: Everton To: Manchester United Fee: £25.6 million Date Joined: August 2004 Age at time of transfer: 18 Appearances: 284 Goals: 131 |
Wayne Rooney is quickly becoming a cult hero at Old Trafford, and with 131 goals for the club already, it’s hardly a surprise.
‘Wazza’ has improved year-on-year since joining the Red Devils, and having bagged 34 goals in 44 appearances last season, Sir Alex Ferguson’s hefty investment has been more than justified.
Success Rating:
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Name: David Beckham Position: Right-sided midfielder From: Manchester United To: Real Madrid Fee: £25 million Date Joined: July 2003 Age at time of transfer: 27 Appearances: 155 Goals: 20 |
It takes a lot to prize a player away from his boyhood club, not to mention Manchester United, but when Real Madrid come knocking – and football boots come flying – you sit up, and take notice.
Beckham experienced a mixed time at the Bernabeu, particularly under Capello. Nonetheless, ‘Golden Balls’, despite only collecting one La Liga title and Supercopa during his tenure in Spain, was a worthy edition to the infamous Galacticos.
Success Rating:
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Name: Joleon Lescott Position: Centre back From: Everton To: Manchester City Fee: £22 million Date Joined: August 2009 Age at time of transfer: 27 Appearances: 30 Goals: 2 |
When plotting the domination of world football in England, Sheikh Mansour was more likely to be dreaming of days at Royal Ascot than signing Lescott.
Recruited by Mark Hughes, the former Everton man has yet to deliver at Eastlands, and at a cost of £733,000 per appearance, you’d be wiser backing a racehorse.
Success Rating:
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Name: Shaun Wright-Phillips Position: Winger From: Manchester City To: Chelsea Fee: £21 million Date Joined: July 2005 Age at time of transfer: 22 Appearances: 124 Goals: 10 |
The fact that City were allowed to resign the winger at a cut-price £9 million shows that his time at Stamford Bridge was less than triumphant.
Despite making over 120 appearances for Chelsea, Wright-Phillips was never able to consolidate his place in the starting eleven, and all too often found himself sat on the sidelines, or in the stands.
Success Rating:
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Name: Michael Carrick Position: Central midfielder From: Tottenham Hotspur To: Manchester United Fee: £18.6 million Date Joined: July 2006 Age at time of transfer: 25 Appearances: 189 Goals: 17 |
Sir Alex is a wily old manager, but many United fans would have been left questioning the old fox’s judgement after shedding out the best part of £20 million on a player who Spurs had signed for £2.75m two years before.
However, despite a slow start to his Red Devils’ career, Carrick is certainly not flopping like Juan Sebastian Veron, and his composed play in the centre of the park seems to have won him more plaudits than criticisms.
Success Rating:
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Name: James Milner Position: Midfielder From: Aston Villa To: Manchester City Fee: £18 million (plus Stephen Ireland) Date Joined: August 2010 Age at time of transfer: 24 Appearances: 0 Goals: 0 |
Only time will tell whether the former Leeds and Newcastle man will be the latest craze in Manchester, but few will arrive there with the same determination as Milner.
£18 million plus Stephen Ireland seems a steeper fee than the reported total value of £26 million, but at a club where cash is countless, the deal makes more sense than not.
Chance Of Success:
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Name: Rio Ferdinand Position: Centre back From: West Ham United To: Leeds United Fee: £18 million Date Joined: November 2000 Age at time of transfer: 22 Appearances: 73 Goals: 3 |
Yet again Rio makes the list, but Leeds were signing a different product altogether in 2000 to the one they’d sell two years later.
At West Ham, Ferdinand was immensely talented, but with a hint of the Titus Bramble syndrome, and would often look to play his way out of trouble. But during his brief tenure at Elland Road, Rio introduced a type of no-nonsense defending which Norman Hunter would have been proud of.
Success Rating:
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Name: Glen Johnson Position: Full back From: Portsmouth To: Liverpool Fee: £18 million Date Joined: June 2009 Age at time of transfer: 24 Appearances: 34 Goals: 3 |
Having failed to make the mark at Chelsea, Johnson turned down the opportunity of a second stint at Stamford Bridge in favour of a move to Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool.
The England full back has seen the start to his Anfield career pegged back by troublesome injuries; but when he has played, he’s added the width and acceleration that the Kop have craved for years.
Success Rating:
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Name: Owen Hargreaves Position: Centre midfielder From: Bayern Munich To: Manchester United Fee: £17 million Date Joined: May 2007 Age at time of transfer: 26 Appearances: 38 Goals: 2 |
England’s best performer by far during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ferguson made Hargreaves his number one transfer target, and finally completed the deal a year later.
Three years on, the midfielder’s career is seemingly hanging by a thread, but his undoubted quality will continue to fuel his manager’s faith in a full recovery; something which the whole country is longing for.
Success Rating:
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