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At the end of the day, footballers are also humans. It is their livelihood and just like any other bureaucrat who is paid for the service he extends, footballers also are, for the effort they put in every day, for the commitment they show, for the accolades they achieve and of course, for the pure passion they have for the beautiful game.
Over the last couple of years, we have seen player values soar and the world transfer record being broken- not once, but twice.
Transfer fees have rocketed and the situation has escalated to an extent that we expect the transfer record to be broken in every transfer window.
As a result, players have started demanding more wages, because, even if their parent club is unwilling to meet the demands, another club may be willing to, and the player can seek a move away.
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With the lure of bumper pay packages in the foreign leagues, especially in the Chinese League, money is being injected into football from all spheres.
So it is an interesting time to look at five players who are plying their trade in the Premier League and who are earning not more than £10,000-a-week.
Note: All the figures taken from www.spotrac.com
#5 Declan Rice (West Ham United)
West Ham has been below average all season, but if there was one shining light emanating from the Hammers' camp, it is young Declan Rice. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season this year.
Promoted from West Ham's own academy, the defender has shown so much promise this season and is a fan-favourite at the club.
He has made 27 appearances in all competitions, 19 of them coming in the league. He was voted as the Hammers' Young Player of The Year in 2017 and has earned a call-up to the Republic Of Ireland national team as well.
He currently earns only £2,500-a-week and West Ham are planning to offer him a mega pay rise, and rightly so. There is every chance that we can see him playing for one of the top teams in England in the future.
#4 Brahim Diaz (Manchester City)
One of Manchester City's brightest prospects makes the list, and it is none other than 18-year-old Brahim Diaz.
He has been given his chances by Pep Guardiola this season and has managed to show what he's capable of.
Signed from Malaga in 2013, Diaz went straight into City's youth system. He made his debut for the City in an EFL game against Swansea City in September 2016.
He even scored a goal against Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly in 2017. This season he has featured eight times for City in all competitions.
The attacking midfielder is currently earning £8,000-a-week. He is held in very high regard by Pep Guardiola and we can expect to see more of him in the coming seasons.
#3 Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Arsene Wenger has a track record of springing a surprise and naming players from the academy in his starting XI all of a sudden and Maitland Niles is one such player.
He has been at the club since the age of six and has been impressive at left-back. He has even managed to provide healthy competition for summer signing Sead Kolasinac.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a season-long loan spell at Ipswich town in 2015. He was often deployed in a more advanced role and he even scored two goals in 32 games for the club.
This season, he has made a remarkable 23 appearances for the club He has represented England at all youth levels and was part of the team that won the FIFA U20 World Cup in 2017.
The young defender earns only £4,000-a-week.and if his recent performances are taken into account, he will be set for a big increment soon.
#2 Adrian Mariappa (Watford)
A surprise name on the list is Watford defender Adrien Mariappa. The veteran defender has almost 400 career appearances for club and country and is perhaps a crime that he earns so less!
The 31-year-old is a Watford academy product and made his debut for the club in August 2005.
After seven years at the club, he went to Reading and Crystal Palace before coming back to Watford in 2016.
He has been a central figure in their line-up this season and has played 24 games, scoring once.
The Jamaican is currently earning a mere £7,000 a week and his current contract runs out in 2019.
#1 Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
For all the apparent stick Jose Mourinho gets for his negligence towards youth players, maybe no one has captured Manchester United fans' heart in recent years more than Scott McTominay has.
The 21-year-old has produced a string of simple, but superb displays for United this season and looks destined for greatness.
He has been at the club since the age of five and was deployed as a centre-forward in his initial days.
He made his first-team debut in May 2017 against Arsenal and never had to look back since. McTominay has made 23 appearances for the club this season and has stepped up to replace their record signing Paul Pogba when he was unavailable.
He has gained the complete trust of Mourinho as well as the Old Trafford faithful and was also called up to the Scotland national team for whom he made his debut two weeks ago.
He currently earns £10,000 a week and it is almost inevitable that United will offer him a new contract and keep him at the club for years to come and carry on their legacy.
