Fulham first team coach Ray Lewington insists today's modern day pro is more dedicated than past generations.

Asked about today's 'pampered players', Lewington told fulhamfc.com: "I can't subscribe to that.

"I know it's a perception that the fans can sometimes have, but it isn't the reality. They earn a lot of money, sure, but good luck to them. Footballers have always been better paid than the man on the street; there's nothing that's changed about that. I earned more than my Dad - not that I ever earned a fortune mind.

"My highest wage was £600 a week and when I came back to Fulham I had to take a drop to £400. So just when I was earning more than I'd ever done, I sacrificed it to come back to Fulham - that's another thing my missus has never forgiven me for!"

In fact, in contrast to what many critics choose to believe, it's Lewington's view that the modern footballer is more dedicated than ever before. They have to be - everything is monitored!

"You can see why they get the 'pampered' tag," he says. "But it's really because we now expect so much from them. In return for being paid lots of money - and they're only being paid lots of money because the TV companies put lots of money into the game - they have to make huge sacrifices. We're now in a position where we can check on everything they do: their lifestyle, what they put in their bodies - we know if they take drugs, we know if they drink alcohol and we know everything that they eat."