Is there God?

The fool says in his heart that there is no God (Psalm 14:1) but wise men know God exists.

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, knew God was his source of wisdom. When Jesus was born, wise men went to pay homage. Today, people who are wise still seek Jesus. They know God exists...and that He cares enough to respond to those who seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

There are so many top scientists who believe in God. Below are 10 of the most brilliant scientists of different generations – and what they said to buttress their belief in the existence of God.

“The question of whether there exists a Creator and Ruler of the Universe has been answered in the affirmative by some of the highest intellects that have ever existed.”

“Another source of conviction in the existence of God, connected with the reason and not with the feelings, impresses me as having much more weight. This follows from the extreme difficulty or rather impossibility of conceiving this immense and wonderful universe, including man with his capacity of looking far backwards and far into futurity, as the result of blind chance or necessity. When thus reflecting I feel compelled to look to a First Cause having an intelligent mind in some degree analogous to that of man; and I deserve to be called a Theist.”

–Charles Darwin (yes THAT Charles Darwin!) (1809-1882) the founder of evolutionary biology, wrote this in his autobiography, Descent of Man.

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Einstein   Picture: Liberty Voice

“The more I study science, the more I believe in God.”

“I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know his thoughts; the rest are details.”

“The fanatical atheists are like slaves who are still feeling the weight of their chains which they have thrown off after hard struggle. They are creatures who – in their grudge against traditional religion as the ‘opium of the masses’ – cannot hear the music of the spheres.”

–Albert Einstein (1879-1955), considered by many to be one of the smartest people who ever lived, said these words in different interviews.

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“God created everything by number, weight and measure.”

“In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.”

Newton   Picture: Wikipedia

“I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”

—Sir Isaac Newton, (1643-1722), English physicist and mathematician who is widely regarded to have been the greatest scientist the world has ever seen. He is most famous for his law of gravitation. His book, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy has been called the single most influential book on physics.

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“A scientific discovery is also a religious discovery. There is no conflict between science and religion. Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world.”

–Joseph H. Taylor, Jr., 75-year-old American astrophysicist who received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the first known binary pulsar, and for his work which supported the Big Bang theory of the creation of the universe

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“God [is] the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.”

—Robert Boyle (1627-1691), Irish philosopher, chemist, physicist, inventor who is considered to be the founder of modern chemistry. Boyle, best known for Boyle’s Law, was a devout Anglican.

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Compton   Picture: Wikipedia

“For myself, faith begins with a realization that a supreme intelligence brought the universe into being and created man. It is not difficult for me to have this faith, for it is incontrovertible that where there is a plan there is intelligence – an orderly, unfolding universe testifies to the truth of the most majestic statement ever uttered – ‘In the beginning God.'”

“Science can have no quarrel with a religion which postulates a God to whom men are His children.”

—Arthur Compton, (1892-1962) American physicist. He won the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the Compton Effect which demonstrated the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation.

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“I have looked into most philosophical systems and I have seen that none will work without God.”

“Science is incompetent to reason upon the creation of matter itself out of nothing. We have reached the utmost limit of our thinking faculties when we have admitted that because matter cannot be eternal and self-existent it must have been created.”

— Scottish Physicist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell, (1831-1879) who is credited with formulating classical electromagnetic theory. His contributions to science are considered to be of the same magnitude to those of Einstein and Newton.

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“Those who say that the study of science makes a man an atheist must be rather silly.”

Born   Picture: Wikipedia

“Something which is against natural laws seems to me rather out of the question because it would be a depressive idea about God. It would make God smaller than he must be assumed. When he stated that these laws hold, then they hold, and he wouldn’t make exceptions. This is too human an idea. Humans do such things, but not God.”

–Max Born, (1882-1970) German physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. He won the 1954 Nobel Prize in Physics.

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“God wanted us to recognize (laws) by creating us after his own image so that we could share in His own thoughts…”

–Johannes Kepler, (1571-1630) the German mathematician and astronomer who discovered the laws of planetary motion which later served as one of the foundations for Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation. Kepler is considered to be one of the founders of the field of astronomy.

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Heisenberg   Picture: Wikipedia

“The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.”

“In the history of science, ever since the famous trial of Galileo, it has repeatedly been claimed that scientific truth cannot be reconciled with the religious interpretation of the world. Although I am now convinced that scientific truth is unassailable in its own field, I have never found it possible to dismiss the content of religious thinking as simply part of an outmoded phase in the consciousness of mankind, a part we shall have to give up from now on. Thus in the course of my life I have repeatedly been compelled to ponder on the relationship of these two regions of thought, for I have never been able to doubt the reality of that to which they point.”

—Werner Heisenberg, (1901-1976) German theoretical physicist who was on of the key pioneers of quantum mechanics. He was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics for the creation of quantum mechanics.

Kelechi Ihenacho is the hottest striker in Premier League history

Ihenacho   Picture: Daily Mail

 He doesn’t play often. But when he plays, he scores.

Meet Kelechi Iheanacho, the deadliest striker in the history of the English Premier League.
The Nigerian hitman is not even first choice at Manchester City because of the presence of Argentine wonder boy Sergio Aguero, but his strike rate is nothing short of exceptional.

After his goal against Hull City on Boxing Day, the 20-year-old striker has now scored a goal every 95.6 minutes, the best return ever in the Premier League.

This effectively makes him the most deadly Premier League goals scorer of all time, beating stellar names like Thierry Henry, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie.

Due to a lack of playing time, Ihenacho has managed just over a tenth of the goals Aguero has scored, but his games/goals ratio is simply outstanding. Aguero, who is City’s number one striker, has one goal per 107.1 minutes.

Arsenal legend Henry scored a goal every 121.8 minutes while van Persie scored every 139.7 minutes. Of the current strikers in the Premier League, Zlatan Ibrahmovic of Manchester United has recorded a goal every 127.5 minutes; Chelsea hotshot Diego Costa has struck every 132.5 while Tottenham’s Harry Kane managed one every 135.8 minutes.

Nigeria’s First Ladies

 Initially, the office of the first lady of Nigeria didn’t exist. The wives of Nigeria’s presidents/heads of state were not always visible. Some were seen and not heard and some were never even seen. And when the office gained a semblance of recognition, it was rather insignificant – until the 1980s.

After independence in 1960, Nigeria had a prime minister and a president. As the Prime Minister, Alhaji (Sir) Tafawa Balewa supervised the day-to-day running of government while Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe held office as the ceremonial President of the country. Balewa had four wives but they rarely appeared in public.

Picture: naijaarchives

However, Zik attended state functions with his wife Flora. Although she was known as Nigeria's First Lady from October 1, 1963 when Nigeria became a republic, there no office set aside for her.

Mrs. Azikiwe played a role in politics; she was a member of the Eastern Working Committee of her husband’s party, the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC). She was also patron of the Home Science Association (HSA), an organization that encouraged healthy living through food and nutrition. She passed away in 1983.

Aguiyi-Ironsi   Picture: Vanguard

After the January 1966 coup that toppled the First Republic, Gen. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi became Nigeria’s first military head of state. His wife Victoria, a humble and simple woman, preferred to remain in the background. Sadly, the regime lasted only six months. Aguiyi-Ironsi was assassinated and Lady Victoria lost her husband to whom she had been married for 13 years.

General Yakubu Gowon was still a bachelor when he became head of state in July 1966. Three years after assuming office, on April 19,1969, he married Miss Victoria Zakari, a nurse.

The Gowons
Picture: romancemeetslife.com

Till date Victoria remains the youngest first lady in Nigeria’s history and the only one to wed while in office. Her youthfulness, charm and poise endeared her to many Nigerians. However, some critics slammed the couple for having a lavish wedding in the middle of the Nigerian Civil War, which claimed the lives of more than one million Nigerians.

One of the highlights of Victoria’s tenure as first lady was the couple’s official visit to England. It was a flamboyant affair. Queen Elizabeth pulled out all the stops to give the Nigerian leader and his wife a welcome befitting royalty.

This is arguably the most lavish treatment Britain has ever given a Nigerian leader.

In 1975 the more reserved Ajoke Muhammed, a dental therapist, succeeded Victoria Gowon. Mrs. Muhammed had barely settled down as first lady when her husband, General Muritala Muhammed, was brutally murdered in a failed coup attempt just six months after assuming office.

Muhammed   Picture: Premium Times

Ajoke, who was just a young woman when her husband was assassinated, recently celebrated her 75^th birthday. She has remained one of the most loved and respected former First Ladies of the country. Although she shuns public life, her works in horticulture and landscaping have spoken for her and she is highly revered by many.

Esther Obasanjo    Picture: Encomium

The next first lady, Mrs. Esther Oluremi Obasanjo, wife of General Olusegun Obasanjo, was also rarely seen in public. However, her stock rose years after the couple left State House and their marriage to went south. She wrote a book, Bitter-Sweet: My Life With Obasanjo in which she made a lot of unsavoury allegations against her ex-husband.

Safinatu Buhari (right) Picture: The News

Like Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first executive president Alhaji Shehu Shagari had many wives and preferred to keep them away from public glare during his four-year tenure.  The public barely got a glimpse of any of his wives until 2001 when one of them passed away.

General Muhammadu Buhari, who shoved away the profligate government of Shagari, also preferred to keep his family under wraps. Little was known about his wife Safinatu (nee Yusuf) until their divorce in 1988 and unfortunate death in 2006.

Babangida   Picture: stargist.com

Then came Mrs. Maryam Babangida. She revolutionsed the role of the first lady. She brought glamour and style to the office and women copied her simple but elegant dresses. Mrs. Babangida remained a style icon until her death on 27 December 2009. She also initiated the Better Life for Rural Women, a programme that endeared her in no small measure to Nigerian women.

Shonekan   Picture: Chrisland University

When her husband, General Ibrahim Babangida “stepped aside” Maryam gave way to Margaret Shonekan whose husband’s unpopular interim government lasted just 84 days before he was overthrown by General Sanni Abacha.

Abacha   Picture: nigerianeye.com

Abacha’s wife Maryam tried her best to retain a charming smile even as Nigerians groaned under her husband’s iron-fisted rule. Her focus on the wellbeing of the family made her establish the Family Support Programme (FSP). She also founded the National Hospital Abuja (originally National Hospital For Women And Children). She retreated to the background upon her husband’s death in 1998, a victim of the bad legacy her husband left behind.

Abubakar   Picture: informationng.com

Fati Abubakar, a judge, replaced Mrs. Abacha but her husband, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was in such a hurry to return Nigeria to democratic rule that she was first lady for less than a year. However, she still had time to initiate the Women Right Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), which has since blossomed as a non-governmental organization.

Obasanjo’s emergence as a democratically elected president in 1999 saw him return with another woman as first lady. This time, it was Stella (nee Abebe).

Obasanjo   Picture: Wikipedia

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo also made the family her focal point. She tried to raise awareness about the scourge of HIV/AIDS and malaria, as well as the problem of domestic violence.

A lover of children, she started the Child Trust Foundation, which she used to touch the lives of many young Nigerians. In February 2003, she joined the Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation. Sadly, she died in 2005, a few weeks before her 60th birthday, following complications from a surgery.

YarÁdua   Picture: Premium Times

Her successor, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua is believed to be the most influential first lady in Nigeria's history and one of her husband's closest advisors. Turai, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Languages from the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), fought against cancer and HIV/AIDS, establishing the National Women Coalition against AIDS (NAWOCA).

Unfortunately she didn’t see her four-year term to the end as her husband Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua died in office after a long sickness.

Jonathan   Picture: 36ng.com

She was followed by Patience Jonathan, who followed the tradition of first ladies having pet projects. Dame Jonathan launched the Women for Change Initiative (WCI). It is regarded as one of the most ambitious projects a Nigerian First Lady has ever initiated and she was recognised nationally and internationally for her philanthropic work.

“Mama Peace” is arguably the most ridiculed first lady in Nigeria’s history. But she took all the criticism in her stride and gave her husband unflinching loyalty. However, many believe her actions and utterances hurt his presidency badly, paving way for Buhari’s second coming.

Like Obasanjo, Buhari also came back as executive president with a new first lady, in the person of Mrs. Aisha Buhari. This time, however, the office of the first lady has been toned down. The administration prefers to call her “the wife of the President” and not first lady. The president’s wife, an alumnus of Ahmadu Bello University, also agreed to limit her role to whatever the constitution allows.

Aisha Buhari   Picture: BBC

But even before her husband officially took over power on May 29, 2015, Mrs. Aisha Buhari hit the ground running. She called for a legislation protecting children from early marriage, endearing herself to Nigerians.

She also founded Future Assured, an initiative which she uses to promote the health and wellbeing of women and children. Additionally, she is currently working with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), especially those who were affected by Boko Haram attacks.

Although she comes from a conservative and highly religious background, Mrs. Buhari is a woman her own ideas. On the day of her husband’s inauguration she was criticized for wearing a $52,000 wristwatch. This was seen as a huge contrast to the president’s Spartan lifestyle.

She also publicly criticized the composition of her husband’s cabinet and threatened that she may not campaign or vote for him in the 2019 elections if the trend doesn’t change. It was the first time a Nigerian first lady has publicly slated her husband.

However, a few weeks later she reassured Nigerians that she was committed to the success of President Buhari’s administration.

Behold, the Premiership’s top earners

The English Premier League is the most valuable football league in the world. Due to a massively bumped up TV deal, the Premiership is awash with cash.

Relatively smaller teams such as Crystal Palace, Stoke and Sunderland can now afford to buy players from European giants like Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and even Barcelona.

However, when it comes to wages, the big boys are still miles ahead of the rest, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea commanding the bulk of English football’s top moneymen.

Here are the 20 best paid.

1. Paul Pogba – Manchester United (£290,000 a week)

Pogba   Picture: The Independent

Paul Pogba is the prodigal son who returned to his father’s house and was welcomed with fanfare. The Frenchman left Manchester United unceremoniously in 2012 after failing to nail a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s team. But he grew to become a star in Juventus and decided to return “home” for a world record fee of  €105 million.

Now he is the best-paid player in England. Not bad for a guy who left just three years ago on a free transfer. However, he has not exactly lit up the league. But that hasn’t stopped him from smiling home with a truckload of cash at the end of each week.

2. Wayne Rooney – Manchester United (£260,000)

Rooney    Picture: Daily Express

Wayne Rooney is the child who often throws up a tantrum knowing that his indulgent parents will reward him with a chocolate. The Man United captain has had his wages jacked up each time he threatens to join another club. He was the highest paid star in Manchester – and England – until Paul Pogba arrived. However, “Shrek” has failed to reenact his amazing goal-scoring form under Jose Mourinho and now he spends more time on the bench than on the field. And at the age of 31, it seems the once prolific striker has reached the twilight of his impressive career. He won’t bother; he has more than enough pension.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Manchester United (£250,000)

Ibrahimovic   Picture: The Guardian

The man with the biggest ego in football matches it with immense performances on the field. He is so cocky he addresses himself in the third person. But after winning trophies in four different countries you can hardly argue with him. At the age of 35 most of his mates are retiring, but Zlatan is "refiring."

The Swede joined Man U in the summer on a one-year deal because he wants to win something in England after doing it in Holland, Italy, Spain and France. He settled quickly and said has scored some crucial goals as the team struggles in an unfamiliar mid-table position.

4. Sergio Aguero – Manchester City (£240,000)

Aguero   Picture: BBC

Sergio Aguero arrived England in 2011 with much fanfare. And he proved his worth by scoring the goal that gave Manchester City its first league title in 44 years. Since then his career has gone nowhere but up and he is considered by many to be the best striker in England.

Aguero is the highest South American scorer in the history of the Premier League. He averages a goal every 109 minutes, the highest goals per minute ratio since the Premier League was formed in 1992. On November 5, 2016, he scored his 150th goal for Manchester City.

Happy with such performance, the management of the club has rewarded the Argentine with a new contract to match his undoubted talent.

5.  Yaya Toure – Manchester City (£220,000)

Toure   Picture: www.101greatgoals.com

Yaya Toure was once the highest paid player in England, until Wayne Rooney’s contract was reviewed upwards in 2013. However, the Ivorian remains the highest paid African in the history of the Premier League.

Though he didn’t feature initially in Pep Guardiola’s plans, the midfielder has played himself back into reckoning, giving five-star performances in the few games he has been called upon.

However, his contract ends at the end of the season and, due to his fractured relationship with City manager Guardiola, it is hard to see him at the Etihad beyond June 2017. He will also be 34 years old in May. Maybe it will not be such a bad time to move on.

6. Eden Hazard – Chelsea (£200,000)

Hazard   Picture: Forbes.com

At the end of the 2014-15 season Eden Hazard was named PFA Footballer of the Year due to his extraordinary displays. He was so good that he was often compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two best players in the world right now.

But the next season, his form dropped drastically and he went without scoring a goal in an astonishing 30 matches. This season, thankfully, the Belgian midfield maestro has regained his remarkable form, lighting up the league once again with exciting displays and wonder goals. The 25-year-old is the one who makes Chelsea tick and when he in in form, the Blues are difficult to stop.

7. David Silva – Manchester City (£200,000)

Silva   Picture: The Independent

David Silva is the best-paid left-footed player in the Premier League. His left foot is so magical it seems the ball is permanently glued to it. That, alongside his excellent first touch and tremendous passing ability, earned him the nickname “Merlin.”

Silva joined City in July 2010 and has been an integral part of the team, helping them to success in the Premiership. He was given a new contract in 2013 and it took him to the top echelon of superstars in the league.

The 30-year-old Spaniard knows how to get out of tight spaces and opening up the defence for his teammates. Small wonder he is regarded as one of the best players in the world in his position.

8. David De Gea – Manchester United (£185,000)

De Gea   Picture: manunited.com

In eighth position is Spain goalkeeper David De Gea. That makes him the best-paid goalkeeper in England.

When he first appeared in United colours in 2010, he looked shaky and unsure of himself and many wondered if Sir Alex Ferguson had made a mistake coughing out £17.8 million for the then 20-year-old. That is the British record fee for a goalkeeper. But slowly and steadily, the young Spaniard asserted himself and has become an asset to the team.

For three straight seasons, De Gea, now 26, has been named the best player in the team, the first player to achieve such a feat. He has also grown to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

9. Raheem Sterling – Manchester City (£180,000)

Sterling   Picture: www.mirror.co.uk

In 2014 Raheem Sterling received the Golden Boy award, which effectively made him the best player in Europe under the age of 21. From then he became hot property, sought after by the world’s best clubs.

In July 2015, Sterling moved to Manchester City from Liverpool for £49 million – the highest amount ever for an English player. Critics accused him of going after money but the young Englishman said all he wanted to do was play with better players. That statement – and the fractious nature of his transfer – made him an eternal enemy with Liverpool fans.

The Jamaican-born attacker has rediscovered his form under Pep Guardiola and is proving to be worth every penny spent on him.

10. Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City (£170,000)

De Bruyne   Picture: Talksport

Kevin De Bruyne was always on the radar as a prodigious talent but somehow, while he was at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho didn’t recognize this. He sold De Bruyne to German club Wolfsburg for £18 million.

In Germany the young Belgian flourished and three seasons later he was named Footballer of the Year. Inevitably, bigger clubs hovered for his signature. Though Wolfsburg fought tooth and nail to keep him, they could not resist the £55 million Manchester City offered. It was the highest amount the English club has ever paid for a player.

De Bruyne, regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Europe, signed a six-year contract with Manchester City in 2015.

11. Cesc Fabregas – Chelsea (£170,000)

Fabregas   Picture: www.4cesc.com

Cesc Fabregas arrived Stamford Bridge as a surprise buy by Jose Mourinho. The former Arsenal captain had returned to Spain to play for boyhood club Barcelona. But after just three seasons he was regarded as surplus to requirement.

When Arsenal – which had the first option to buy back their former captain – turned a blind eye, Mourinho swooped. And Fabregas landed in Chelsea, to the consternation of Arsenal fans. He helped the team win the Premier League in the 2014-15 season. But the next season his form – as well as that of the whole team – dropped drastically. The talented midfielder has regained a semblance of his impressive form but he remains on the fringes of Antonio Conte’s plans.

12. Mezut Ozil – Arsenal (£140,000)

Ozil   Picture: The Independent

In September 2013 Mezut Ozil was inexplicably sold by Real Madrid and a grateful Arsene Wenger bought him for a club record  £42 million. The transfer also makes him the most expensive German footballer in history.

Initially the playmaker found it hard to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League but he has grown in stature to become the player who makes the Gunners tick.

Ozil has just 18 months left on his contract and the club is keen on tying him down on bumper new five-year deal. But contract talks are slow, especially as Arsenal will clearly have to break their wage structure to keep the assist king.

13. Juan Mata – Manchester United (£140,000)

Mata   Picture: Skysports.com

Juan Mata’s fans were afraid that Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United would signal the end of the Spaniard’s career at Old Trafford, the same way it did at Chelsea. However the midfielder has played his way into Mourinho’s good books.

Mata arrived Chelsea from Valencia in 2011 on a £23.5 million transfer fee. He quickly became a fan favourite but at the beginning of the 2014-15 season, he didn’t get much playing time and Chelsea sold him to Manchester United for a then club record fee of £37.1 million. United offered him an improved four-year contract and with the way he is playing it is very likely that the club will extend his deal for a few more years.

14. Bastian Schweinsteiger – Manchester United (£135,000)

Schweinsteiger   Picture: Daily Express

When Jose Mourinho arrived Old Trafford in the summer, one of the first things he did was to tell Bastian Schweinsteiger, a World Cup winner, that he had no place in his squad. However, Schweinsteiger preferred to remain at Man U, believing that his time would come. His faith paid off. Late last month, he was included in the team for the first time.

Before joining United in 2015, the 32-year-old had spent 13 seasons at Bayern Munich, making exactly 500 appearances for the German club. Many people have criticized the way the experienced German superstar has been treated by Mourinho. However, that has not stopped Schweinsteiger from smiling to the bank at the end of every week.

15. Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal (£130,000)

Sanchez   Picture: skysports.com

Like Mezut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez has only 18 months left on his current contract at Arsenal and he is locked in contract talks with the Gunners. As one of the best players in the league, he demands to be on the same pay level with the best-paid players. Arsenal will have to break the bank to keep him.
This season the Chilean superstar has been unplayable. Like the Energizer bunny, he seems unstoppable and is never tired. He wants to play always, and even gets angry when he's substituted. 
Bought from Barcelona for £31.7 million, Sanchez is Arsenal’s third most expensive player. This season, Arsene Wenger converted Sanchez to a striker and the 27-year-old has repaid the faith with stunning goals.

16. Dimitri Payet – West Ham (£125,000)

Payet   Picture: Eurosport

West Ham signed Dimitri Payet from Marseille in June 2015 for £10 million – an amount that now looks like a bargain. After a series of stunning displays the Frenchman became one of the revelations in the league. In February 2016, less than a year after his arrival, he was given a new five-year contract to ward off bigger clubs.

Even though his wages were bumped up, analysts say it is just a matter of time before he moves to a top club. Not bad for a guy who was born in the tiny island called Reunion, with a population of just 850,000.

17. Willian – Chelsea (£120,000)

Willian   Picture: Wikipedia

In August 2013, Willian Borges da Silva was on his way to Tottenham Hotspurs when Chelsea “highjacked” him for £32 million. Since then the Brazilian has rewarded the faith placed on him with some scintillating displays. He signed a new four-year contract in June to push to his weekly wages into six figures.

The winger says he has no regrets snubbing Spurs at the last minute. At Chelsea he has won the Premier League and League Cup. He is also on a bumper contract he would never earn at Spurs.

The dead ball specialist was a stand out performer for Chelsea when the team underperformed and many saw him as the team’s player of the season.

18. Vincent Kompany – Manchester City £120,000

Kompany   Picture: www.101greatgoals.com

Vincent Kompany, Manchester City’s charismatic captain, is the only defender on this list. He has led City to win two Premier League titles and one FA Cup since his arrival from Hamburg in 2008.

The Belgian, one of City’s longest serving members, was named Premier League Player of the Season in 2010-11. He is one of the best defenders in world football but he has been plagued by injuries in the past few seasons.

Should he decide to call time on his injury-ravaged career, the 30-year-old has been tipped to become a top TV pundit because of his vast knowledge of the game. He is also a part time student of Business Administration at the Manchester Business School.

19. Daniel Sturridge – Liverpool (£120,000)

Sturridge   Picture: Daily Star

Daniel Sturridge is the only Liverpool player in the top 20 big earners’ list. The England striker’s career has been ravaged by injuries and he is now a fringe player in Jurgen Klopp’s team.

He joined Liverpool from Chelsea in January 2013 for £12 million because he wanted to play as a striker. At Anfield he didn’t disappoint, scoring 21 goals in the 2013-14 season. Only Luis Suarez, his then Liverpool teammate, scored more.

There are speculations that he may be sold at the end of the season because of his recurrent injuries. If that happens Kop fans will miss his signature jig goal celebration.

20. Thibaut Courtois – Chelsea (£120,000)

Courtois  Picture: Fox Sports

Thibaut Courtois is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Belgian shot stopper was signed for £8 million from Genk on a five-year deal. A few weeks later, he was loaned to Atletico Madrid in Spain where he spent three successful seasons. On his return to Stamford Bridge, he edged out Petr Cech, forcing the latter to move across town to Arsenal.

Courtois, the youngest goalkeeper ever to play for the Belgian national team, signed a new, improved five-year contract with Chelsea in September 2014. He has had some shaky performances but at just 24, he has a long time to cement his place as one of the best of all time.