Beckham stays top of the pops
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-12-02 15:38

England captain David Beckham has retained his place as the richest footballer in Britain with an estimated personal fortune of 65 million pounds.

In FourFourTwo football magazine's Rich List, Beckham, 29, is followed in the players' list by Arsenal's Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp, who has made 37 million pounds through investments, and then by his Real Madrid team-mate Michael Owen, who is worth 30 million pounds.

Real Madrid's Luis Figo (R) celebrates with his team mate England's David Beckham after he scored against Levante's during their Spanish first division soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid November 28, 2004. [Reuters]

Manchester City striker Robbie Fowler, a big property owner, is fourth with a fortune rated at 28 million pounds, ahead of Newcastle's Alan Shearer on 22 million pounds and Arsenal's Sol Campbell on 20 million pounds.

Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs are also worth 20 million pounds.

That is more than their manager Sir Alex Ferguson who starts a new 4.5 million pound 12-month rolling contract next summer. The Scot is said to be worth 15 million pounds.

England's Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is said to be worth 10 million pounds.

But the wealthiest men in football are still the club owners.

Chelsea's Russian oil-billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is rated as Britain's richest man, on 7.5 billion pounds.

He is followed by the Barbados-based investor Joe Lewis, whose investment company ENIC own Tottenham Hotspur. His fortunes is estimated at 1.8 billion pounds.

Four of Manchester United's major shareholders are in the top 10. Dermot Desmond, the Irish investor who also owns Celtic, is in third place with an estimated 850 million pound fortune.

United's second-largest shareholder, American Malcolm Glazer, is in sixth place with 560 million pounds, followed by Irish racing tycoon John Magnier on 520 million pounds. Magnier's 28.89 per cent of United makes him the key man to the future ownership of Old Trafford.

Rich List

Top directors

1. Roman Abramovich, 38, Chelsea -- 7.5 billion pounds

2. Joseph Lewis, 67, Tottenham, 1.8 billion

3. Dermot Desmond, 54, Celtic, Manchester Unitd - 850 million

4. Trevor Hemmings, 69, Charlton, Preston - 700 million pounds

5. The Walker Family (Jack Walker deceased 2000) Blackburn - 650 million

6. Malcolm Glazer, 76, Man Utd - 560 million

7. David Sullivan, 55, Birmingham - 550 million

8. John Magnier, 56, Man Utd - 520 million

9. David Gold, 68, Birmingham - 495 million

10. Mohammed Fayed, 71, Fulham - 470 million and Harry Dobson, 57, Man Utd - 470 million

Top players

1. David Beckham, Real Madrid, 65 million pounds

2. Dennis Bergkamp, Arsenal, 37 million

3. Michael Owen, Real Madrid, 30 million

4. Robbie Fowler, Manchester City, 28 million

5. Alan Shearer, Newcastle, 22 million

6. Sol Campbell, Arsenal, 20 million

6. Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, 20 million

6. Ryan Giggs, Manchester United, 20 million

6. Roy Keane, Manchester United, 20 million

10. Thierry Henry, Arsenal, 18 million

Close

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