The final day of June in 2020 is a truly momentous day in Premier League circles as it marks the long-awaited expiration of Alan Pardew’s ridiculous eight-year contract with Newcastle United.
Pardew signed the mammoth extension in September 2012 having guided Newcastle to European qualification the season prior, winning the Manager of the Season award as a result. It was the longest deal for any manager working in the Premier League at that time.
It’s fair to say that the level of commitment shown by the club’s top brass proved to be over-zealous, with Pardew jumping ship halfway through the 2013-14 season and returning to Crystal Palace seemingly no sooner than the vacancy been posted.
Including Palace, Pardew has taken charge of no less than three other clubs in the time it’s taken for his incredible Newcastle contract to run out. His most recent managerial tenure came at ADO Den Haag, which came to an end last month after successfully avoiding relegation (largely by virtue of the entire Eredivisie season being cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic).
So Pards is a free agent once again. Please form an orderly queue.
With a nod to Pardew and his folly, here are some of the lengthiest contracts ever signed in football and how, with the added benefit of hindsight, they rank in terms of investment value.
David Moyes
Hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson as the manager to succeed his dynasty at Manchester United, Moyes was ordained with a hefty six-year contract.
The rest, as they say, is all slightly unfortunate and underwhelming and came to a premature end just 10 months later.
RANK: BIG MISS
Lionel Messi
Messi has signed nine different contracts during his time at Barcelona (the picture below is from 2014) but the longest was the nine-year deal he agreed in September 2005, a matter of months after breaking through into the first team.
Messi was signed up until 2014 and doubled his wages in the process, but we think it’s safe to say that Barca definitely got more than their money’s worth as the Argentine quickly ascended to greatness. Continue reading