Retired footballer Jimmy Bullard has revealed that his former club Hull City ‘changed his life’ by paying him up to an extra wage of£15,000 per week by mistake.
Bullard joined Hull on a four-and-a-half-year deal from Fulham back in the January of 2009. At that time, both Fulham and Hull were in the Premier League.
The former midfielder was quoted in British newspapers recalling that when the time came to sign his contract he found he would be paid £55,000 a week, rather than the £40,000 agreed.
Not only that but an appearance fee of around £5,000-per-game, which had previously never been discussed in negotiations, magically appeared.
Instead of mentioning it to his new club, Bullard, then 32, stayed quiet and signed the contract. By the time the ink had dried, it was too late. He would earn £55,000-a-week for the two-and-a-half years he stayed with the Tigers, amounting to an extra £2m overall.
‘I saw on the paperwork it said £50,000 so I’ve passed it under the table to my agent and my agent’s gone: “Yeah, that’s a misprint, sign it”,’ the 37-year-old retired footballer said.
‘As I signed it I blew it (the ink) dry and then I read under it as well, another £5,000 or £6,000 in appearance (money).
‘I’m celebrating to this day. Thank you Hull City for changing my life. I’m dropping cash everywhere, I’m bleeding cash,’ added the former footballer.’
Asked what he believes Hull City fans think of him, he admitted: “They’ve had the hump from day one with me.
“But what do you want, me to tell them? It’s like winning the lottery and going ‘oh no, I don’t want that’. No, you sign it, you blow it dry.”
Hull City are yet to comment on the news. Bullard made his name in the English football with stints at Hull, Fulham, West Ham United, Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Milton Keynes Dons.
He played 18 league games for the Tigers, who are top of the Championship this season and hoping to win promotion back to the Premier League this season, before joining Ipswich in August 2011.
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