Giggs: Player wages justified

Ryan Giggs believes the majority of top-flight players deserve their massive wages.

Such has been the explosion of cash into the Premier League over the past few years, that salaries in excess of £100,000 a week, if not exactly commonplace, are hardly unknown.

Yet Giggs does not feel the cash is excessive given the contracts being paid to televise the Premier League, which bring in well over £1.5billion, and told ITV's News at Ten: "There is plenty of money in the game but the majority of the players deserve it."

He added: "There are a number of players that perhaps 20 years ago would not have got paid the money that they're getting now but that is the way that football is.

"The average player is getting a lot of money - if that is right, I don't know. But good luck to them - the money is in the game, why not earn it while they have got the chance?

"But twenty years ago that wouldn't have happened. Then it was probably only the top, top players, the elite players who would be earning good money."

It just emphasises the massive changes that have taken place during Giggs' stellar career, which has brought him 11 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.

"The game has gone massive," he said.

"Footballers make the front pages and the back pages - it is big news, they are like pop stars.

"A lot of things are for the good. The fitness of players is better than it has ever been. The Premier League is the best league in the world."