Michael Owen believes the hype surrounding footballers and their wages is unnecessary.
The former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester United striker has seen players' salaries increase since he retired but he is of the belief that all the money going into the bank accounts of his former peers is certainly deserved.
Plenty of criticism has come the way of professional football clubs for the amount they pay their superstars but Owen feels there is no difference between maestros of the round ball game and those who are at the peak of their powers in other codes like golf, basketball, tennis, athletics and even in the music industry.
"Despite many of these issues being extremely important, I can't help but think the current hysteria surrounding footballers reported wage packets is over-hyped and unnecessary," Owen wrote in his blog on Sportlobster.
"If you have a skill, which people are prepared to part with their hard-earned cash in order to watch, those with the skill will always command high salaries.
"Nobody complains if pop stars sell out a stadium and rake in millions from a tour.
"Nobody complains about the reported weekly salaries, according to Forbes, of sportsmen such as Kobe Bryant (£700k), Roger Federer (£800k), Phil Mickelson (£480k) and Usain Bolt (£290k).
"What is so different to a footballer earning similar amounts for being at the top of their own particular sport?
"I often hear the football fan's mantra of 'I'm paying his wages' when a footballer is having a bad day and yet fans don't feel the same way at all when watching Tiger Woods or Roger Federer play a poor match."
