I noticed that just the other day Michael Owen, former footballer and now a prominent pundit on the game, took delivery of a brand new black 2014 Range Rover Sport.
I’ll declare an interest here: I’m rather fascinated by what professional footballers drive. Footballers are just us with lots more money, which means they buy exactly the sorts of motors we would if we were blessed with their footballing talent.
"I’ve always been into cars," says Michael. "I’ve owned quite a variety over the years, my first being a Rover Coupé, before progressing on to a BMW, then Aston Martins, Jaguars, Ferraris and Range Rovers."
Now, I’ve seen Michael over the years pictured on new car forecourts collecting a new car or two, and jolly good luck to him. I’ve seen him with Jaguars – an X-Type and an XK – and even a Chrysler PT Cruiser.
"You grow with cars," he says. "I was never going to get a Ferrari at 18; you wait until you’ve earned your stripes. The older you get, the more successful you are in the workplace, and the more you feel as if you deserve to buy a nice car.
"In football there’s a hierarchy, so if you go in a nicer car than someone who’s played a hundred games and represented his country, you’ll be quickly slapped down and told to sell it. So you have to grow your cars organically with how you’re doing on the football pitch."
Do you agree with Michael? Personally, I’ve not seen a lot of young players with modest motors trading up. Even some semi-professional players I’ve seen have Porsche 911s.
So, professional sportsmen and their cars; who have you seen and what were they driving?
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Hierarchy? I'd tell them to
Good luck to him
Not quite like us
Personally, I would probably grey market a CLS Shooting Brake to the States if I could as a low, sleek estate for everyday use over a bloated SUV. You probably wouldn't see too many on the road over here even if, again, everyone was making pots of money as it is not known outside of a relatively few number of people in the States. Though, mind you, the helicopter idea certainly appeals from time-is-money standpoint.