As footballers have ascended to the heights of superstardom in the game, so, too, has their taste in cars revved up to dizzying heights of luxury, and there’s been a steady stream of players making their way through the doors of high-end car dealers.

With wages only exceeded in size by their egos, the recession-hit economy certainly hasn’t stopped the UK’s super rich players from indulging their tastes for the biggest and best in cars. While Aston Martin, Bentley and Mercedes Benz seem to be the most popular makes with football’s elite, our Top Ten has a surprise or two in store:

Aston Martin Vanquish S – Wayne Rooney

He may look a bit like a potato, but Wayne Rooney has cracking taste in cars. With a top speed of over 200 mph, there’s no wonder the Vanquish S is James Bond’s favourite car. Starting at around £102,000, it’s midpoint between the between the pricing of V8 and V12 Vantage models. As with all Aston updates, the looks are subtly different, not radically altered, and the hand-crafted details that are synonymous with Aston Martin are as evident as ever.

Ferrari F430 Spider – John Terry

No car shouts “I’ve made it big time” louder than the Ferrari F430 Spider, which is an appropriate choice for Chelsea’s ever controversial John Terry. Ferrari’s Formula One prowess and what they learn on the track has been fully incorporated into the exceptional F430 Spider, which has such amazing good looks that lesser mortals than Terry have to wait two years for delivery. Starting at around £140,000 this supercar is worth every penny. Terry may want to consider a few driving lessons from a Ferrari professional, if he is to get the best out of this high performance powerhouse.

Bentley Continental GT – Steven Gerrard

Captain of Liverpool, Steven Gerrard went for class all the way when he selected the Bentley Continental GT luxury coupe, which harks back to the 1950s glory days of Bentley, when cars such as the R Type Continental coupe offered quality, class, style and comfort and delivered it unquestionably. With a luxury interior, twin-turbocharged W12 power and a powerful presence, the Bentley Continental GT is thought by many to be unrivalled.

Porsche 911 – Matthew Upson

Stoke City’s Matthew Upson purchased the epitome of sports car performance, when he took delivery of his luxury two-door sports coupe / GT made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart. Two decades after the Porsche Roadster hit the market, the company has produced what is considered to be its greatest model yet in the 911, which is a snip at around £90,000.

Jaguar XJR – David James

Who can resist Jaguar’s XJR? Bristol City’s David James, certainly couldn’t. Jaguar is proud to point out that the models in the XJ-series are the first aluminium monocoque structures to be built at Castle Bromwich since the Spitfire fighter aircraft some 70 years ago, and that they have been built using aerospace technologies to improve their weight and handling, while providing a roomier interior.

Range Rover – Stan Collymore

Former footballer turned popular sports pundit, Stan Collymore opted for the ever-classy, ultra versatile Range Rover, which is the must-have four wheel-drive for any urbanite with aspirations of being landed gentry.

Mercedes Benz S320 CDI – Joe Cole

England midfielder, Joe Cole opted for the Mercedes Benz S320 CDI, which offers plenty of torque, as well as all the bells and whistles that Mercedes is known for, at a price that’s right – £55,000.

Dodge Viper – Michael Carrick

Manchester United’s Michael Carrick, looked further afield, in his search for a new ride and settled for a Dodge Viper, which was conceived as a contemporary take on a classic American sports car. One of the world’s first V-10 powered cars, the Viper combines outrageous styling with all-important power.

Chevrolet Camaro – David Beckham

Just one of the cars in Posh and Beck’s garage is the Chevrolet Camaro. Celebrity spotters won’t find it hard to spot the couple around Los Angeles, since the car sports a custom matte black paint job.

Citations:

• Images by Carspotter

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