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Storrie quashes Utaka wage reports

John Utaka has come in for criticism from Portsmouth fans © Getty Images

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Peter Storrie has leapt to the defence of John Utaka after he was singled out for criticism over his wages.

Footballers usually want their salaries to be kept confidential, but Utaka is desperate for Pompey fans to know he has not been sapping £80,000-a-week out of the club as part of the crippling wage bill that is bringing the cash-strapped club to its financial knees.

Pompey chief executive Storrie revealed that Nigeria international Utaka has come to him personally to ask for help after being lambasted by the media for his part in the club's troubles.

"Everywhere he goes John is ridiculed for earning so much when the club is in so much peril," Storrie told Soccernet. "He has come to me and asked me 'can you do something about it?' He wants it to be known that he earns a third of the amount that is quoted against his name."

Utaka was Pompey's record signing when he joined from Rennes in July 2007 for £7 million. In two-and-a-half years, he has become a symbol to many of their record waste of money.

Portsmouth, debt-ridden and threatened with administration, have failed to pay their wage bill on time on four occasions this season.

And Utaka has regularly been singled out as the club's top wage earner with his four-year contract reported to be costing Portsmouth £23 million, which the player has now denied.

Portsmouth's recorded wages outlay for 2008 was £54.6 million and some of the figures associated with Pompey have been comparable to those earned by star performers at Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool or Chelsea.

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