Top 10 Highest-Paid Scottish Footballers in 2025
- Think Football Ideas
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 52 minutes ago
Scottish football has always had its share of heroes — from Lisbon Lions to Premier League pioneers. But in today’s game, the nation’s best talents are scattered across Europe, leaving home soil to test themselves against the continent’s best.
Some are anchoring Champions League hopefuls in Italy. Others are leading Premier League revivals or staying loyal to clubs that built them. One thing unites them all: they’ve turned raw potential into big-time value. So who are the top-paid Scottish players in 2025? And more importantly, how much are they earning per week?
Here Are The Top 10 Highest-Paid Scottish Footballers in 2025
10. Tom Cairney – £30,000/week
Club: Fulham | Position: Centre Midfielder
A quiet force at Craven Cottage for nearly a decade, Tom Cairney is as steady as they come. The Fulham skipper isn’t one for flashy headlines, but he’s clocked up over 300 appearances and three promotions with the London club.
At 33, he’s not the most high-profile on the list—but £30k a week? That’s still some serious dough for a Scottish playmaker who’s only earned two national caps.
9. Ryan Fraser – £40,000/week
Club: Southampton | Position: Winger
Ryan Fraser might be small in stature, but he made a name for himself terrorising full-backs with Bournemouth in their Premier League peak.
Now at Southampton, the jet-heeled winger secured a permanent deal in 2024 after helping them bounce back up. Though his Scotland career has cooled since 2022, he’s still cashing in nicely on the south coast.
8. Che Adams – £53,723/week
Club: Torino | Position: Striker
From Ilkeston to Italy. Che Adams’ journey has been anything but typical. After leaving Southampton, he took a punt abroad—and it’s paid off. Adams is thriving in Serie A with Torino, racking up goals and proving that Scottish strikers can make waves outside the UK. He’s also bagged over 30 caps for the national team and is now pocketing just over £50k weekly for his efforts.
7. Billy Gilmour – £53,723/week
Napoli | Position: Centre Midfielder
Brighton gave him the platform, but Napoli gave him the stage. Billy Gilmour’s move to Italy in 2024 turned heads—and rightly so. The former Chelsea prodigy is now part of a title-chasing midfield in Naples, finally living up to his early hype.
With over 35 Scotland caps already, Gilmour’s £53k per week reflects his potential and growing maturity on the pitch.
6. Ryan Christie – £70,000/week
Bournemouth | Position: Midfielder
From Celtic out wide to Bournemouth through the middle—Ryan Christie’s transformation has been impressive.
Now a central lynchpin under Andoni Iraola, Christie is part of a Bournemouth side dreaming of European football. His tidy £70k-per-week salary is the reward for years of quiet graft and a sharp football brain. A mainstay in the Scotland squad since 2017.
5. Aaron Hickey – £70,000/week
Brentford | Position: Right-Back
Hickey’s had a stop-start time at Brentford due to injury, but his rise from Hearts to Bologna to the Premier League speaks volumes.
The £70k-per-week defender was Scotland’s next big thing at full-back before fitness issues slowed his momentum. Don’t count him out, though—still only 22, with a cultured left foot and experience in three top leagues.
4. Scott McTominay – £89,700/week
Napoli | Position: Centre Midfielder
After years at Manchester United, McTominay swapped red for blue in the summer of 2024, joining Napoli in a £25m move. Under Antonio Conte, the 6’4” midfield powerhouse has thrived—box-to-box, aggressive, and crucial to the Italian side’s title ambitions. He is the top-paid Scottish player in Serie A, and McTominay’s £89,700/week contract is the price of proven pedigree.
3. Kieran Tierney – £110,000/week
Arsenal | Position: Left-Back
Still on Arsenal’s books but often hampered by injury, Tierney’s wage packet remains massive. £110k per week for a player not always starting? That’s Arsenal showing loyalty to a warrior when fit. A Celtic hero and fan favourite, Tierney is tipped to return north once his deal runs out in 2025. Fit and firing, he’s still one of Scotland’s best.
2. John McGinn – £110,000/week
Aston Villa | Position: Centre Midfielder
Captain. Leader. Villa legend. Since joining from Hibs in 2018, McGinn’s trajectory has been relentless, especially under Unai Emery.
From Championship battler to Champions League qualifier, “Meatball” is the heartbeat of a side that just keeps surprising. His £110k-per-week salary matches his stature at the club—one of the most universally liked Scots in the game.
🥇 1. Andy Robertson – £160,000/week
Liverpool | Position: Left-Back
There was never any doubt. From Queen’s Park to Anfield greatness, Andy Robertson’s story is the stuff of footballing folklore. Champions League? Check. Premier League? You bet. Now 31 and still bombing down that flank, he’s passed 250 appearances for Liverpool—and £160k a week for his efforts.
He’s been instrumental in Liverpool's 2024/25 campaign under Arne Slot as they charge toward a second Premier League title. The highest-paid Scottish footballer in the world is a true national icon.
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