Man United icon was left penniless after 'trying to keep up with his team-mates'

Becoming a professional at Manchester United guarantees substantial wealth at a young age, but significant risks exist too. Brown experienced both extremes of that reality, reportedly enjoying a lavish lifestyle throughout his 22-year career, only to face serious financial troubles in retirement.

The former defender made 362 senior appearances and earned £50,000 a week - equivalent to £2.6million a year - at his peak. Following his Old Trafford departure in 2011, he had stints at Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Indian side Kerala Blasters.

However, Brown faced significant financial troubles in 2023, following a costly split from his ex-wife Leanne, when he was declared bankrupt by HMRC. It was additionally reported that he suffered losses through property investments.

A source further told the Daily Mail that Brown frittered away a considerable portion of his wealth trying to keep pace with colleagues who were earning significantly more.

The 46-year-old, who won seven Premier League titles and two FA Cups, shared a dressing room with big earners such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford.

Just over a year after his bankruptcy, Brown revealed he was piecing his life back together. He said: "Luckily, I still work, so that's good. It's all been sorted now in the sense that I know what I need to do and everybody is happy with everything.

"So I'm just getting on with it now and carrying on really. It was a tough ride, it's something that is hard to deal with on your own at times."

Having retired from the game in 2018, Brown opted against moving into management, instead dedicating himself to coaching, fulfilling ambassadorial responsibilities for United and, most notably, delivering financial literacy training for professional athletes.

The former England international acknowledged that he could have greatly benefited from the sort of guidance he gives to others, back when his own finances were still in good shape. He said: "For me, it was more of a case of not knowing who I could speak to about stuff.

"Sometimes it's just a feeling of, 'I'm not sure that was the right thing to do.' I feel if I could have the time again, I would have more people in the room and I would have taken advice from people. But that wasn't available at the time."

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