Reading skipper Jobi McAnuff has called for a salary cap to be introduced on the Premier League's top earners to stop football losing touch with reality.
McAnuff claimed that youngsters are only getting into the game for the money and wants to see the trend reversed.
He told the Daily Mirror: "I can see why a Wayne Rooney should get a big bonus because of the amount of shirts he sells. But if you're talking about £200,000 a week, that's ridiculous.
"Who needs that amount of money? Surely, someone will say 'that's enough'. We're on the verge of getting out of control and we're starting to lose a bit of reality.
"The most popular question I get from kids is 'what car do you drive?' What happened to them wanting to know what it was like to make your debut?"
Newly-promoted Reading go in search of their first victory of the season on Sunday when they host Tottenham Hotspur.