Adrian Durham was stunned over a report that claimed Aston Villa attacker Ross McCormack was set to earn £70,000-a-week starting from next season.
The Daily Mirror previously reported that the 32-year-old was set for a pay-rise if the Villans won a promotion to the Premier League due to a clause in his contract.
Given that Dean Smith’s side are Premier League bound after beating Derby in the Championship play-off final, Durham reacted to McCormack’s pay rise to share his shock.
“McCormack will now be on £70,000-a-week due to a clause in his contract despite having not played a game for them for nearly two-years,” said Durham on talkSPORT (18:38, Wednesday May 29th).
“Who knows, wow, that’s extraordinary.”
OPINION
While the Villans are in party mode, the news that McCormack is getting a pay rise will no doubt pop a few balloons at the celebrations. The 32-year-old has not been part of the club’s successful 2018/19 campaign but he is set to benefit. McCormack spent some of his 2018/19 campaign on loan at Motherwell and some of it out on loan at the Central Coast Mariners. It’s absolutely amazing that the 32-year-old is therefore going to be on mega money and you can only condemn the club for ever giving him a contract that would see him so richly rewarded. Granted Aston Villa signed McCormack from Fulham with the belief that he’d help them get back to the Premier League. However with hindsight, that has looked foolish. McCormack has only managed a grand total of 24 appearances for the Villans and has only three goals to his name. While Smith would probably love to sell McCormack in the summer, he’ll probably rather stay and collect his mouthwatering pay.