Wages are 'obscene' - Van Nistelrooy

News: Ruud Van Nistelrooy has described the wages earned by Manchester United's top players as "obscene" and "astronomical".

"If you play in the first team at United, your wages are astronomical," the striker told Dutch magazine Voetbal International in an interview reproduced on Manchester United's official website.

"Honestly, what we earn is not just a whacking amount of money by Dutch standards, it's obscene when you compare it to what is earned in the rest of Europe.

"As a player, you choose a club and you pick the ideal country where you want to play, but I admit that the size of your wage packet plays a major part."

Van Nistelrooy also revealed that United's players regularly play cards for money when travelling to away games.

"The players spend a lot of time travelling. Oh, and maybe I shouldn't say this, but a lot of them play cards," van Nistelrooy said.

"Yes, they play for money. I can see them writing stuff down all the time when they are playing.

"They play on the train when we go to London, in hotels or on the plane and the manager is fine as long as he is winning."

A United spokesman said only small amounts of money were involved. "Our players do play cards for fun to pass the time and the amounts of money involved are small. It's really just for fun and to pass the time as they are travelling."

However, in the wake of recent revelations by Chelsea's Eidur Gudjohnsen and former Republic of Ireland Tony Cascarino (see Soccer Shorts), the Professional Footballers' Association deputy chief Mick McGuire has admitted the union is concerned about out of control gambling. "Gambling is a big danger. With drugs or alcohol there is random testing - it is not quite as easy to test for gambling problems," McGuire told the Press Association.

"Players, have, historically, gambled. When I was a player in the '70s there were card schools and debts can mount up. It is nothing new.

"But some of the youngsters today are earning big bucks and have lots of time on their hands.

"And it is not healthy when one player owes a team-mate a lot of money. It may only be a week's wages but it is still a massive amount of money."

Leeds' Norwegian international midfielder Eirik Bakke has added to the club's problems following his arrest for drink-driving in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The Leeds midfielder was apprehended at a house in the Alwoodley area of Leeds, and after spending several hours at Chapeltown police station, was released.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police confirmed a 25-year-old man, charged with drink-driving, had been released on police bail.

"A man arrested in the Alwoodley area of Leeds at 3.40 a.m. and charged with driving over the prescribed limit was released on bail between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. this afternoon," he said.

Bakke is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on January 17th.

Bakke was signed in 1999 from Sogndal for £1.75 million pounds and has recently scored key goals in victories over Birmingham and Scunthorpe in the Premiership and FA Cup respectively.

If Bakke is found guilty, then it is almost certainly he will be fined a fortnight's salary.