Ex-Pirates midfielder Michael Morton reveals every salary from 7 clubs in 17-year career
- Michael Morton has revealed what he earned at seven clubs during a 17-year professional football career
- The former Orlando Pirates midfielder has opened up about the salaries behind some of his biggest career moves
- His earnings changed dramatically as he moved between clubs and divisions
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Former Orlando Pirates midfielder Michael Morton has given South African football fans a rare look into the financial side of his career, revealing what he earned at different stages of a 17-year journey through professional football.
Morton, who broke into the Pirates senior team as a teenager during the 2008/09 season, went on to represent several clubs in the Premier Soccer League and lower divisions, including Maritzburg United, SuperSport United, AmaZulu and Cape Town Spurs.
Now, the former midfielder has disclosed the salaries attached to his various contracts, showing just how dramatically his earnings changed throughout his career.
“Nobody in South African football has ever done this before. I’m about to show you every single contract I signed in my 17 years as a professional footballer,” Morton said.
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Morton said earning his first professional wage gave him an early financial head start. He put the money towards buying his first apartment and also paid R60,000 cash for a second-hand Peugeot 206.
His career then took him to Wits on loan before he moved to Maritzburg United, where his monthly earnings climbed to about R30,000.
AmaZulu contract became his biggest payday
Morton later signed a pre-contract with SuperSport United, taking his salary into the R60,000 range.
His biggest monthly salary came after his move to AmaZulu. The former midfielder said he earned around R80,000 per month, making it the most lucrative contract of his career.
COVID-19 reshaped Michael Morton’s earnings
Morton’s financial trajectory changed sharply when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted football and he found himself without a club. His next move, to Cape Umoya in the National First Division, came with a monthly salary of about R30,000.
That was significantly below the R80,000 he had been earning at AmaZulu. Morton recalled the adjustment as difficult, saying it was “a bit of a shock” to go from his career-best earnings “back to square one”.
His next two clubs, Cape Town All Stars and Cape Town Spurs, also paid him in the R30,000 region. At Spurs, however, his contract contained a promotion incentive.
When the club moved into the top flight, Morton’s monthly earnings increased to R60,000. The financial boost did not last indefinitely. Following relegation, his salary returned to R30,000.
Morton has also cautioned readers against treating the figures as exact contract values. He described them as “pretty accurate estimates” and said they were intended to provide “a pretty good idea” of his career earnings.
The amounts also cover only his basic monthly salaries. Additional income from performance bonuses, signing-on payments and image rights was excluded, meaning the figures do not represent his complete football earnings.
Michael Morton’s surprise leaves South African mother delighted
Briefly News previously reported that former Orlando Pirates midfielder Michael Morton sparked a heartwarming reaction in June 2026 when he offered to pay for a mother and her son’s petrol.
The moment was captured on video and shared by Morton on Instagram on 6 June. The family had planned to spend just R300 on fuel when Morton stepped in, leaving the mother visibly overwhelmed by the unexpected gesture.
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Source: Briefly News
