Ed Woodward overtakes Daniel Levy to become Premier League’s highest paid director

Turns out you don't need to win to get paid

Ed Woodward's time as chief executive of Manchester United has been the antithesis of plain sailing. The 49-year-old is likely one of the least popular figures at any Premier League club, and is frequently the target of criticism from Manchester United fans angry at the club's haphazard approach to all things football over the past seven years. Since taking charge of football matters at the club, Woodward has overseen a period of tumult not seen during Sir Alex Ferguson's time at the club, and one which has made the club's Premier League finishes inconsistent on a year-to-year basis. Despite this, he is still handsomely paid; in fact he is so handsomely paid that last season he was actually the highest-paid director in the Premier League, with Companies House accounts showing he made a ridiculous £3.09 million last season. That is slightly more than Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy, who earned £2.96m over the same period. According to the accounts, the amount paid out in dividends to United's 11 directors - which include Woodward and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson - was close to £7m last season. Seen as the face of the hated Glazer family's ownership of the club, Woodward has been unpopular throughout virtually all of his reign at Old Trafford. In January 2020, police were called to Woodward's home after flares were launched towards the property by a group of United fans. Woodward and his family were not at home at the time of the incident.