The earning power of English Premier League footballers has been so publicly vaunted in the media that it is uncommon to hear of players earning over £100,000 per week without barely a flutter at the calibre of player attracting those monies.
The figure that has earned a certain player the title of 'highest-paid Premier League star' has increased nearly every single year but the contrast from the inaugural campaign to present day almost defies description.
Our colleagues at Mirror Football took a closer look at the highest earning player from each Premier League season, revealing how much they were pocketing and whether they ended up proving their worth on the pitch in the process.
1992/93 & 1993/94 - John Barnes, £10,000-per-week
