Wayne Rooney has never been a stranger to big headlines, but even by his own standards, the revelation he dropped during a recent episode of Stick to Football landed like a thunderclap. Asked by Gary Neville about the most lucrative deal he ever signed at Manchester United, Rooney calmly stated that he earned around £17 million per year at the peak of his Old Trafford career—an admission that left Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright completely stunned.

The discussion — initially meant to compare contract stories from their playing days — quickly spiraled into a moment of genuine disbelief. While Rooney’s talent, longevity, and status as United’s all-time leading scorer fully justify the financial figure, the contrast between his earnings and those of other Premier League legends laid bare just how dramatically the football economy transformed over the course of his career.

Rooney’s contract in question dates back to 2014, when the forward signed a five-and-a-half-year deal worth a reported £300,000 per week, including commercial and ambassadorial clauses extending beyond his playing days. The lucrative package reflected his status as one of the world’s premier attacking talents — a player who had already delivered five Premier League titles, a Champions League crown, an FA Cup, multiple League Cups and a Europa League triumph, while becoming the face of both Manchester United and the England national team.

But hearing the number spoken aloud — and watching the reaction of his former teammates — highlighted the gulf between Rooney’s era and the contract structures of the legends who came just before him.

Neville, for example, admitted that his own United earnings peaked at roughly £1.75 million per year, rising to £2.25 million — nearly ten times less than the sum Rooney commanded. What shocked him most wasn’t envy, but the realization that he never truly negotiated; he always accepted long contracts on lower salaries in exchange for stability. For Neville, the priority was simple: spend his whole career at Manchester United, and trust that financial security would follow.

Keane was more blunt. He acknowledged earning around £5 million per year at his peak — substantially more than Neville, but still nowhere near Rooney’s deal. In typical Keane fashion, he justified the difference with deadpan directness: “I was a better player, obviously.” Yet even he emphasized that wages in his era were modest by modern standards.

Carragher, meanwhile, shared that his largest deal came after Liverpool’s 2005 Champions League victory, amounting to roughly £3 million annually, most of it padded by performance bonuses. For players of his generation, bonuses were the key; base salaries rarely ballooned.

Rooney’s admission highlighted a dramatic shift — not just in the valuation of elite talent, but in how Premier League money surged in the early 2010s. Soaring broadcast deals, commercial globalization, new ownership groups, and the rise of football as a global entertainment product pushed salaries to unprecedented heights. And as one of the league’s biggest stars, Rooney became the poster child for the new financial era.

Rooney himself offered no bravado, no gloating. He simply answered the question and moved on. What surprised viewers and pundits alike wasn’t the number; it was the silence that followed. The normally outspoken panel — especially Keane and Carragher — were visibly taken aback. It was one of those rare unscripted moments where football’s financial evolution stood in stark relief.

The panel had spent the earlier portion of the conversation discussing how contracts had worked in their day. Neville admitted that money was never a focus; he signed long-term deals for stability. Carragher spoke of earning more through bonuses than salary. Keane mentioned seeing his wages rise, but never to extravagant levels. Wright, representing another era, echoed similar experiences.

But Rooney’s contrast — both generational and financial — showed just how quickly the landscape can shift. In less than a decade, player salaries skyrocketed beyond what the previous crop of legends even thought possible.

The discussion also illuminated Rooney’s unique role in Manchester United’s commercial machine. He wasn’t just a prolific goalscorer; he was a global icon, a brand cornerstone, and the last superstar of the pre-Ferguson-retirement era. United’s willingness to offer him such an extensive package, including post-playing commitments, was a testament to the club’s view of him as both a footballing asset and a long-term ambassadorial figure.

The conversation also reignited debate among fans. Some argued Rooney fully deserved every penny, given his output and status. Others questioned the ballooning wage culture that took hold during the mid-2010s. A few even suggested that Rooney’s huge earnings reflected broader economic shifts rather than individual value.

Social media reactions were immediate and mixed — admiration, shock, nostalgia, and the usual banter. But one thing was undeniable: Rooney’s revelation gave fans a rare glimpse into the true scale of Premier League finances during one of its most transformative eras.

What the exchange truly underscored was not inequality, but evolution. Neville, Keane, Wright, and Carragher represent football’s past — talented, dedicated, and elite, but part of a more modest commercial age. Rooney represents the bridge into modern football — the era of massive sponsorships, global TV audiences, and mega-contracts.

And in that moment on Stick to Football, all four men seemed to recognize it.