46. Ashley Cole (Chelsea) – £17m
One of the world’s finest full-backs, Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole has established himself as a vital component of both his club and national side in recent years.
The 32-year-old was brilliant as Chelsea lifted the Champions League in Munich last year – and received a £400,000 bonus from club owner Roman Abramovich for his prominent role in the victory.
Cole currently earns £130,000 a week in west London, but is reportedly set to become the world’s best paid defender in the summer after agreeing a new one-year deal with the club worth closer to £200,000 a week. He can also expect to earn up to £600,000 a year in club bonuses.
His first contract at Stamford Bridge was worth £90,000 a week, while previously at Arsenal, he earned in the region of £50,000 a week before leaving in 2006.
He enjoys a sponsorship deal with Nike and bumped up his earnings by releasing an autobiography called ‘My Defence’ in 2006, although his divorce from Cheryl Cole in 2010 impacted on his assets.
His company Kenzie Promotions showed £1.2 million of net assets as of June 2011. His property portfolio includes a house in Hampstead worth £5m, a Surrey mansion, a villa in Dubai and a £450,000 flat in Friern Barnet.