The contrasting sporting and financial fortunes of men's and <a href=""women's football are in the spotlight this morning.
The Independent says: "The England football team is not rubbish. It is, in fact, enjoying a brilliant run, having made it through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. England's top striker is rated the fifth best player in the world. But unfortunately, none of this applies to Steve McClaren's squad. It refers to the under-publicised, and under-funded achievements of the England women's football team."
The paper carries a photo of the team lined up before a game during the World Cup in China, and lists each player along with their day jobs. It reveals a team of teachers, students, community workers and a full-time mum. Vicky Exley, one of the goalscorers in England's 6-1 thrashing of Argentina on Monday, is a full-time postwoman.
The paper adds: "Instead of pocketing £100,000 a week like some of their male counterparts, England's top players will come back from China with a small fee to cover lost earnings, plus a few perks."
It points out that football is Britain's top female sport, with 1.6 million women and girls playing the game regularly. And yet, it says: "No woman, however skilful, earns more than a pittance from playing in matches."
Glenn Moore, the Independent's football editor, explains why wages are so poor, but claims that fortunes could change. "The financial weakness of the domestic league, dependent on the goodwill of the men's clubs, is a problem. The solution may be corporate sponsorship, which is why profile-raising progress in this World Cup is so important."
* This is an edited extract from the Wrap, our digest of the daily papers.
