Aston Villa flop Ross McCormack is set to net a huge pay rise after Dean Smith's side were promoted to the Premier League.
McCormack is set to see his wage rocket up to £70,000 a week despite having not played a league game for the club since a 1-0 defeat at Wolves in January 2017.
The Scot has been on loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Melbourne City, Central Coast Mariners and Motherwell since then, but is still contracted to Villa for another year.
As much as £4million of Aston Villa 's reported £180million windfall from their promotion back to the Premier League will be paid to players who have barely kicked a ball for them this season.
Villa side beat Derby County 2-1 in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Monday afternoon, returning to the top-flight of English football after three years away.
Anwar El Ghazi scored from close range shortly before half-time to give Villa the lead against the Rams, with that advantage than doubled when John McGinn profited from an error from Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos to nod home the second.
Derby pulled a goal back nine minutes from time when Jack Marriott's effort went in off his fellow substitute Martyn Waghorn, but Frank Lampard's side were unable to muster an equaliser to take the game into extra-time.
And although Villa and their fans will barely be caring about this during their Monday evening celebrations, promotion payments to several of the squad's lesser-seen players will now kick in.
But McCormack isn't the only misfit to receive a pay rise ahead of next season.
Scott Hogan, Gary Gardner, James Bree and Henri Lansbury are also in line for bonuses, with only Lansbury having not been sent out on loan this season.
The bonuses were agreed when former owner Dr Tony Xia was still at the club, with the current regime of Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris likely to seek cost-effective solutions.
