Robbie Fowler once topped an elite wealth list during his prime, and his net worth is now reportedly almost double that of Liverpool's . The former England striker earned millions both on the pitch and away from his playing career - and continues to do so despite retiring in 2012.

Fowler twice made the cut on the - in 2005 and 2009 - and even had the title of "richest sportsman living in Britain" from The Observer. The 50-year-old estimated at £31million at the time, back when he traded the top-flight in England for Australia's A-League with the now defunct Northern Fury FC.

most lucrative spell on the pitch was with , finding the net 183 times to leave him the in the Premier League to date. He also won plenty of silverware with the Reds, including a UEFA Cup, an , a UEFA Super Cup, and two League Cups, whilst also having sported the colours of , , City and Blackburn Rovers.

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His bank balance today is said to be an eye-watering £38m, as per , nearly doubling Van Dijk's own wealth. The Dutch centre-back just signed a contract extension with the club - reportedly worth almost £400,000 weekly - that will keep him at Anfield until 2027.

After this bumper deal, Van Dijk's assets are estimated at around £22.6m, with a salary of £1.6m monthly. But even with these eye-watering figures, he's yet to catch up with Fowler's financial firepower.

The ex-Liverpool forward didn't just make moves on the pitch; he also invested well off it, crediting his financial wisdom to ex-manager Graeme Souness.

During an interview with the in 2015, Fowler revealed that one of his smartest moves was taking Souness's advice to see a financial adviser as a youngster. He said: "As a young kid, I wasn't really interested at that stage - getting financial advice was far from my mind.

"I was focused on playing football. But I got on board with this financial adviser and heeded his advice, which was my wisest money decision. I would have been 18, probably.

"Don't get me wrong; not everything went into property then. And I didn't just invest on my own, because when I was 18, I was on next to nothing, and I couldn't afford it, regardless of what people think about football players.

"I invested with partners. It was all through the advice I was given, not because I knew anything or wanted to know it; it was totally by accident."

This early financial move - orchestrated by Souness - allowed Fowler to amass an impressive property empire while still playing, safeguarding his financial future. In a conversation with The Guardian, he underplayed the extent of his portfolio, as he said: "Let's say I have more than 10 but less than 100."

He's since ventured into management, taking charge of Muangthong United in Thailand, Brisbane Roar in , Indian Super League side East Bengal and Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi second tier.

With Fowler's net worth only increasing after retirement, perhaps Van Dijk could take a page out of the former striker's book regarding his newly signed contract.

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