Why do footballers get paid so much money for kicking a ball?

Not all footballers are paid loads of money, certainly all players in the top divisions at clubs around Europe are, but most of the lower league players are on quite basic wages and for a lot of them its nothing more than a part-time job, while during the week they do normal jobs such as being an electrician or a plumber.

Big clubs in all the top divisions are ambitious and they earn a lot of revenue from large crowds that attend each home match, merchandise sold and money generated through finishing positions in major tournaments. This enables them to buy the very best footballers in the world and offer them the sort of wages that have been introduced over the last 10 years or so.

Unlike normal jobs a footballers career is quite short, most players reach their peak at about the age range of 30-35, whereas ordinary workers work until they are 60-65, this could be argued then that top footballers deserve what they are paid for the job that they do, also the fact that if they receive a nasty injury their career would be cut short after their current contract ended.

There will always be debate about what they are paid at the highest level, some people will argue why teachers, military personnel, nurses and doctors are not paid as much, but it is the employers choice to what they pay their staff.

Personally I think it is a little bit ridiculous that a footballer can earn £150,000 a week for kicking a ball on a Saturday afternoon for 90 minutes and a few training sessions during the week, but I would not be complaining had it been me. People will always be divided on whether it is right or wrong or whether they deserve such huge wages.