The cars footballers drive reflect their rags-to-riches career paths. From Beckham's Porsche 911 to Wayne Rooney's Lamborghini, go behind the wheels of the most successful stars.

Got a dream car? Weigh in - 16 / 06 / 2008 13:09

Where there is money and men, there will be cars. For proof, look no further than the world of football.

To grasp just how much money is floating around in the sport, take a look at last year's research from auditing and consulting company Deloitte. The richest team in the world, Real Madrid, boasted sales of $400 million last year, while the average player in Britain's top soccer league earned a cool $2.2 million.

 A new batch of broadcasting deals beginning this year could take the highest British footballer salary to $20 million. And with so much money up for grabs, it stands to reason that the most successful soccer players will want to flash their cash on the road.

David Beckham, who has a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy worth a projected $275 million over five years, has splashed millions on a car collection that at one time included an Aston Martin DB7, a Lamborghini Gallardo and a Porsche 911 Turbo.

 The cars footballers drive often reflect their rags-to-riches career paths. Manchester United star Wayne Rooney began his career with a $20,000 Ford Ka; he now has a $1.5 million collection that includes a $175,990 Bentley Continental GT. Even Beckham drove a humble Ford Escort back in the mid-1990s.

*The cars pictured are not the ones owned by the athletes pictured here.

Forbes