Neil Webb has auctioned his 1990 FA Cup winner's medal, his 1992 League Cup winner's medal, and several of his 26 England caps. In 2024, he also auctioned his debut England shirt and cap from 1987 for £15,000. According to Daily Express - Sport, Webb said the medals were sitting in a drawer and the money was more important for his retirement fund than the physical hardware. He is turning 60 in July 2024, and he noted that if nobody buys the shirt and cap, he will happily keep hold of it.
Webb has compared the earnings of his generation to today's players, stating that his generation earned good money and could buy a nice house, a nice car, and put their children through private education, but it is a different world for today's players. According to Daily Express - Sport, he said he always knew he would have to work after he played and cannot relate to the incredulous wages players get today, even £100,000 a week. For years, he has worked as a postman in his hometown of Reading, a job that required him to be on his feet for hours, and at one point, it was reported he was earning around £220 a week as a postman.
I'm turning 60 in July and it would be good if the shirt and cap goes to someone who will appreciate them. It will boost my retirement pot. It has hung on the wall in our home and if nobody decides to buy it I'll happily keep hold of it.
Neil Webb was a cultured midfielder who was a key figure for Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United and a regular in Bobby Robson's England side in the early 1990s. His injury in 1989 opened the door for Paul Gascoigne to earn a starting spot in England's team at the 1990 World Cup, where England lost on penalties to West Germany in the semi-finals. Paul Gascoigne is the most prominent and tragic example of players from a bygone era struggling financially after hanging up their boots.
My generation earned good money and you could buy a nice house, a nice car and put your children through private education. But it is a different world for today's players. I always knew I would have to work after I played. I can't relate to the incredulous wages players get today. Even £100,000 a week – I can't relate to that.