Gary Neville has revealed just how small his first Manchester United contract was under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary right back joined the Red Devils as an apprentice after leaving school at the age of 16, and went on to make 602 senior appearances - the fifth-most in club history.
Neville made his first team debut in September 1992, before his disciplined, gritty professionalism earned him the role of United's starting right back by the 1994-95 season. And the rest was history.
But prior to this, Neville, like every academy star earning their call-up to the big leagues, had to pen a humble first professional contract.
The pundit explained that he and eight other players were given the same small deal when they first signed.
'At Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson gave us all the same [first professional] contract. It was all the same,' Neville said, speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.
'He gave us a £4000 signing on fee, £210 a week year one, £230 a week year two, £250 a week year three, and £270 a week year four.'
Neville added: 'We all got a Honda Prelude, and all got the same contract – there was eight of us.'
Neville went on to explain that he wisely used his first contract to get on the property ladder.
His first property ran him £160,000, for which he had to cough up a 10 per cent deposit.
'Your own house is the best investment [you could make],' Neville continued.
'When I got money with my first contract at [Manchester] United, I bought a house. That was a massive thing – it was a house which cost £160,000 and I put down £16,000 as a deposit, and at the time I was taking a big risk.'
'So basically, you're saving up for this signing on fee, and then you put it into a house, and you think, "Right, I've got to afford the mortgage for four years".'