From Debenhams to the Premier League: Sam Clucas on footballers' wages

After being released by his hometown club Lincoln City, Clucas joined the Glenn Hoddle Academy in August 2010 before returning to England to sign for Hereford the following year.

He made 18 appearances as Hereford were relegated to the Conference Premier, before featuring 47 times during the 2012/13 season, scoring nine goals and earning a move to Mansfield Town.

However, during his spell at Hereford, Clucas was working at Debenhams and earning between £700 and £800 a month.

"I have experienced everything," he said, speaking on a podcast hosted by former Port Vale and Lincoln City player Kyle Perry. 

"Certainly when I was at Hereford, which is four hours away from Lincoln, I was on £200 a week. I couldn't even afford to drive home sometimes after buying food and that.

"I had just come from the Glenn Hoddle academy and I got offered the same money at Barnet, but I was like, how can I afford to live in London on £200 a week. Hereford had promised me game time so I chose to go there. 

"I have turned down so many moves on more money, it has never been about money. It comes with the success.

"But coming from where I have, I know I have had a big transfer fee, I think people would be shocked and surprised at how much I was earning at Swansea after my big move there, compared to the price tag I went for and other players there.

"I would not have even been in the top 10 earners at the time I was there."

Clucas went on to make 66 Premier League appearances with Hull City and Swansea City, and has played more than 300 games across the Football League.

After Hull's relegation in 2016/17, he signed a four-year deal with Swansea in the Premier League for an undisclosed fee.

He added: "Hull offered me the same money that Swansea did when they got relegated. 

"I said that I love my time here, I would love to stay, if it was another Championship team then I would have no interest in going.

"But, from where I come from, to have another year in the Premier League is something I could not turn down.

"They got a good a good deal out of it and a good transfer fee. I think they paid £1 million for me from Chesterfield and ended up getting £14m back."

His time in south Wales was short-lived, as he joined Stoke City in August 2018 for £6 million. Even then, Clucas took a significant pay cut to extend his stay. 

"The salary has never meant anything to me," he continued. "You get more the more successful you get.

"At Stoke to stay an extra year I took a 65 per cent pay cut to stay when I could have gone to another Championship team on the same money I was getting already.

"Once you have been there, there is more to life than money. It's not the be all and end all, it would probably cause more problems than solve them when you get to the top.

"It comes with football, but it has never been about that."