September 18 – Former England captain Wayne Rooney, who has been playing with DC United in the United States, says American players in Major League Soccer (MLS) should get paid more.
The former Manchester United striker, who is returning to England as player-coach at Derby County at the end of the MLS season, says his US teammates deserve to have the same treatment as overseas stars recruited to MLS teams.
“I feel that American players get underpaid,” Rooney told ESPN. “I feel they deserve to get more money to stay in line with football in the rest of the world and in terms of the American sports.
Three players per side are allowed to earn more than the above $10,192-a-week ceiling imposed on MLS sides. They are invariably foreign imports but Rooney says that’s not fair on domestic talent.
“I’m not saying it to benefit me, I obviously won’t be in the league next season. I think it’s only fair to those players who are putting in the same work as all have to earn the right to earn more money for doing it.”
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