Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has slammed the wages Premier League clubs pay their teenage players.

The ex-England defender, 37, had to clean the boots of first team squad players when he was an apprentice at West Ham – but now youth team players can attract £25,000-a-week and be driven around by a chauffeur.

"Nowadays a 16 or 17-year-old kid is on thousands and they have not even played in the first team," he said. “At Chelsea some 17-year-olds are on £25,000 a week.

"How do you get that kid to get out there to improve? Some kids have not got it in them if you give them this sort of cash too early. There is too much too soon and they are wrapped in cotton wool too!"