Martins on MLS rich list

Seattle Sounders forward Obafemi Martins and former Aston Villa flop Michael Bradley are among a quartet of West Midlands old boys on the Major League Soccer richlist, Birmingham Mail reports. Ex-AstonVilla, Blues and Albion defender Liam Ridgewell and Robbie Keane, once of Wolves and Villa, are also ranked among the top 15 $1m-plus earners in the MLS. The salaries of the players in the United States’ leading soccer league were made public on Tuesday and included the wages of several familiar faces. Bradley, who had a lacklustre loan spell at Villa in 2011 under Gerard Houllier, is the third highest earner behind Kaka and Clint Dempsey. The Toronto FC midfielder and US international picks up $6.5m (around £4m) per year. Keane, of Los Angeles Galaxy, is seventh in the big money league, with an annual salary of $4.5m (roughly £2.75m). Martins, who was Birmingham’s match-winner at Wembley in February 2011, pockets $1.75m (just over £1m) per year playing for Seattle Sounders. Ridgewell is the latest West Midlands import to seek the latter part of fame and fortune across the pond. He now plays for Portland Timbers and trousers $1.2m (around £750,000) per year.