LEAGUE TWO · DEFENDERS · 2026/27
Highest paid League Two defenders
Alfie Dorrington is the best-paid defender in League Two, on £8,500 a week at Salford City, or £442,000 a year. Dan Scarr is next on £8,400 at Salford City. We hold wages for 385 League Two defenders in 2026/27.
BEST PAID £9k
AVERAGE WAGE £2,352
SHARE OF WAGE BILL33%
TOP 10 A WEEK £58k
WAGES HELD385
The 50 best-paid League Two defenders
Weekly wage, 2026/27. A player who plays in two areas of the pitch is on both lists, at the full wage.
| # | PLAYER | WEEKLY | YEARLY | CLUB | AGE | POSITION | NATION |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | £442,000£442k | Salford City | 20 | Centre-back | England |
| 2 | Dan Scarr | £8,400£8k | £436,800£437k | Salford City | 30 | Centre-back | England |
| 3 | Brendan Wiredu | £7,500£8k | £390,000£390k | Salford City | 25 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 4 | Michael Rose | £5,900£6k | £306,800£307k | Salford City | 29 | Centre-back | Scotland |
| 5 | Jordan Gabriel | £5,100£5k | £265,200£265k | Port Vale | 26 | Right-back | England |
| 6 | Brandon Cover | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Rotherham United | 21 | Right-back, defensive midfielder | Jamaica |
| 7 | Ar'jany Martha | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Rotherham United | 21 | Left wing-back, winger | Curaçao |
| 8 | Brandon Cooper | £4,500£5k | £234,000£234k | Salford City | 25 | Centre-back | Wales |
| 9 | Dylan Duffy | £4,400£4k | £228,800£229k | Chesterfield | 22 | Left wing-back, left winger | Ireland |
| 10 | Conor McCarthy | £4,400£4k | £228,800£229k | Northampton Town | 27 | Centre-back | Ireland |
| 11 | Cameron Humphreys | £4,400£4k | £228,800£229k | Port Vale | 26 | Centre-back | England |
| 12 | Denzel Hall | £4,400£4k | £228,800£229k | Rotherham United | 24 | Centre-back | Netherlands |
| 13 | Elliott Moore | £4,300£4k | £223,600£224k | Northampton Town | 28 | Centre-back | England |
| 14 | Joe Anderson | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Accrington Stanley | 24 | Centre-back | England |
| 15 | Jack Sparkes | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Bristol Rovers | 24 | Left-back, left winger | England |
| 16 | Jon Guthrie | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Northampton Town | 32 | Centre-back | England |
| 17 | Jamal Baptiste | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Rotherham United | 21 | Centre-back | England |
| 18 | Joe Rafferty | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Rotherham United | 31 | Centre-back | Ireland |
| 19 | Joe Powell | £4,100£4k | £213,200£213k | Salford City | 26 | Left wing-back, attacking midfielder | England |
| 20 | Pele Arganese-McDermott | £3,800£4k | £197,600£198k | Crawley Town | 19 | Centre-back | England |
| 21 | Ryan Tafazolli | £3,700£4k | £192,400£192k | Swindon Town | 33 | Centre-back | England |
| 22 | Shaun McWilliams | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Cheltenham Town | 26 | Right wing-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 23 | Tom Naylor | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Chesterfield | 34 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 24 | Sean Raggett | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Colchester United | 31 | Centre-back | England |
| 25 | Sam Hoskins | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Northampton Town | 32 | Right-back, attacking midfielder, striker | England |
| 26 | Taylor Allen | £3,600£4k | £187,200£187k | Salford City | 25 | Centre-back | England |
| 27 | Alfie Kilgour | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Bristol Rovers | 27 | Centre-back | England |
| 28 | Andy Smith | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Gillingham | 23 | Centre-back | England |
| 29 | Aaron Nemane | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Rotherham United | 27 | Right wing-back, right winger | England |
| 30 | Albert Adomah | £3,500£4k | £182,000£182k | Walsall | 37 | Right wing-back, striker | Ghana |
| 31 | Ciarán Kelly | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Bristol Rovers | 27 | Centre-back | Ireland |
| 32 | Clinton Mola | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Bristol Rovers | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | England |
| 33 | Chey Dunkley | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Chesterfield | 33 | Centre-back | England |
| 34 | Dion Pereira | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Crawley Town | 26 | Right wing-back, winger | Antigua & Barbuda |
| 35 | Danny Andrew | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Fleetwood Town | 34 | Centre-back | England |
| 36 | Donervon Daniels | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Oldham Athletic | 31 | Centre-back | Montserrat |
| 37 | Connor Hall | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Port Vale | 32 | Centre-back | England |
| 38 | Will Aimson | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Salford City | 31 | Centre-back | Wales |
| 39 | Will Boyle | £3,400£3k | £176,800£177k | Shrewsbury Town | 29 | Centre-back | Scotland |
| 40 | Ed Turns | £3,300£3k | £171,600£172k | Exeter City | 22 | Centre-back | Wales |
| 41 | Eli Campbell | £3,300£3k | £171,600£172k | Port Vale | 20 | Centre-back | England |
| 42 | Emmanuel Adegboyega | £3,300£3k | £171,600£172k | Rotherham United | 21 | Centre-back | Ireland |
| 43 | James Wilson | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Cheltenham Town | 36 | Centre-back | Wales |
| 44 | Joe Tomlinson | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Cheltenham Town | 25 | Full-back | England |
| 45 | Jordan Shipley | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Cheltenham Town | 27 | Left wing-back, attacking midfielder | Ireland |
| 46 | Jay Williams | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Colchester United | 24 | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | Saint Kitts & Nevis |
| 47 | Jack Fitzwater | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Exeter City | 27 | Centre-back | England |
| 48 | Jack Taylor | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Exeter City | 19 | Centre-back | England |
| 49 | Jake Batty | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Fleetwood Town | 20 | Centre-back | England |
| 50 | Jack Burroughs | £3,100£3k | £161,200£161k | Northampton Town | 24 | Full-back | Scotland |
What each position earns in League Two
Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for
Defenders take 33% of what League Two pays its players of that age. The four shares add up to the whole bill, because a player who plays in two areas gives half the wage to each.
The clubs that pay their defenders the most
Every defender wage we hold at each League Two club, added together, a week
Salford City pay 28 defenders £66,750 a week between them, and Alfie Dorrington takes 13% of it.
The best-paid defender at every League Two club
24 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders
| CLUB | PLAYER | WEEKLY | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salford City | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | 1 |
| Port Vale | Jordan Gabriel | £5,100£5k | 5 |
| Rotherham United | Brandon Cover | £4,500£5k | 6 |
| Northampton Town | Conor McCarthy | £4,400£4k | 10 |
| Chesterfield | Dylan Duffy | £4,400£4k | 9 |
| Bristol Rovers | Jack Sparkes | £4,100£4k | 15 |
| Accrington Stanley | Joe Anderson | £4,100£4k | 14 |
| Crawley Town | Pele Arganese-McDermott | £3,800£4k | 20 |
| Swindon Town | Ryan Tafazolli | £3,700£4k | 21 |
| Colchester United | Sean Raggett | £3,600£4k | 24 |
| Cheltenham Town | Shaun McWilliams | £3,600£4k | 22 |
| Gillingham | Andy Smith | £3,500£4k | 28 |
| Walsall | Albert Adomah | £3,500£4k | 30 |
| Shrewsbury Town | Will Boyle | £3,400£3k | 39 |
| Fleetwood Town | Danny Andrew | £3,400£3k | 35 |
| Oldham Athletic | Donervon Daniels | £3,400£3k | 36 |
| Exeter City | Ed Turns | £3,300£3k | 40 |
| Tranmere Rovers | Jacob Slater | £3,100£3k | 52 |
| Crewe Alexandra | Luke Offord | £3,000£3k | 56 |
| Rochdale | Laurence Maguire | £3,000£3k | 60 |
| Grimsby Town | Sam Lavelle | £2,600£3k | 76 |
| Barnet | Adam Senior | £2,500£3k | 80 |
| York City | Ashley Palmer | £2,500£3k | 87 |
| Newport County | Cameron Norman | £2,400£2k | 92 |
The best-paid defender in every men's league
43 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. League Two ranks 34th.
| LEAGUE | BEST PAID | WEEKLY | AVERAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | Kalidou Koulibaly | £497,000£497k | £40,351£40k |
| Premier League | Virgil van Dijk | £350,000£350k | £69,840£70k |
| Bundesliga | Dayot Upamecano | £331,000£331k | £42,331£42k |
| Ligue 1 | Lucas Hernández | £316,000£316k | £27,702£28k |
| La Liga | João Cancelo | £249,000£249k | £37,418£37k |
| Serie A | John Stones | £200,000£200k | £36,415£36k |
| Süper Lig | Milan Škriniar | £166,000£166k | £15,078£15k |
| Superleague Greece | Stefan de Vrij | £117,000£117k | £10,420£10k |
| Championship | Kieran Trippier | £115,000£115k | £18,082£18k |
| Eredivisie | Lutsharel Geertruida | £99,000£99k | £8,088£8k |
| Major League Soccer | Jordi Alba | £85,000£85k | £7,805£8k |
| Scottish Premiership | Ben Godfrey | £80,000£80k | £5,860£6k |
| Primeira Liga | Jakub Kiwior | £58,000£58k | £5,910£6k |
| La Liga 2 | David López | £58,000£58k | £4,473£4k |
| Russian Premier League | Matheus Reis | £57,000£57k | £12,772£13k |
| Brasileirão Série A | Guillermo Maripán | £53,000£53k | £8,284£8k |
| Belgian Pro League | Matteo Dams | £49,000£49k | £5,133£5k |
| League One | Wes Morgan | £46,000£46k | £5,700£6k |
| 2. Bundesliga | Yannick Gerhardt | £42,000£42k | £8,296£8k |
| Super Liga | Nicolás Otamendi | £41,000£41k | £3,253£3k |
| Danish Superliga | Rasmus Kristensen | £39,000£39k | £5,418£5k |
| Ekstraklasa | Attila Szalai | £36,000£36k | £2,883£3k |
| Serie B | Federico Baschirotto | £33,000£33k | £6,876£7k |
| Czech First League | David Jurásek | £29,000£29k | £1,857£2k |
| Chinese Super League | Matheus Jussa (Matheus Isaias dos Santos) | £27,000£27k | £4,788£5k |
| Liga MX | Kenedy | £25,000£25k | £6,926£7k |
| Austrian Bundesliga | Stefan Lainer | £21,000£21k | £4,095£4k |
| Ligue 2 | Frédéric Guilbert | £18,000£18k | £4,556£5k |
| J1 League | Gotoku Sakai | £15,000£15k | £3,457£3k |
| Croatian First League | Ronaël Pierre-Gabriel | £15,000£15k | £2,078£2k |
| Thai League | Erik Sviatchenko | £14,000£14k | £2,172£2k |
| Eliteserien | Hrannar Snær Magnússon | £13,000£13k | £1,630£2k |
| Belgian Challenger Pro League | Thomas Foket | £8,600£9k | £1,529£2k |
| League Two | Alfie Dorrington | £8,500£9k | £2,352£2k |
| Categoría Primera A | Frank Fabra | £8,300£8k | £3,994£4k |
| Scottish Championship | Leon King | £8,000£8k | £952£952 |
| A-League | Jacob Farrell | £6,100£6k | £1,262£1k |
| Indian Super League | Anwar Ali | £4,500£5k | £595£595 |
| National League | Jake Rooney | £4,100£4k | £1,165£1k |
| I-League | Jamie McCart | £4,100£4k | £547£547 |
| Veikkausliiga | Alfie Cicale | £2,500£3k | £646£646 |
| Canadian Premier League | Curtis Ofori | £1,400£1k | £443£443 |
| Meistriliiga | Modou Tambedou | £484£484 | £152£152 |
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest paid defender in League Two?
Alfie Dorrington of Salford City, on £8,500 a week in 2026/27, or £442,000 a year. Dan Scarr of Salford City is second on £8,400 a week.
How much do League Two defenders earn?
The average League Two defender aged 22 or over earns £2,352 a week, and the median one £2,100. Defenders take 33% of what League Two pays its players of that age.
Which League Two club pays its defenders the most?
Salford City, £66,750 a week across the 28 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Alfie Dorrington on £8,500.
Who is the highest paid defender in football?
Of the 43 men's leagues we rank defenders in, the best-paid is Kalidou Koulibaly of Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club in the Saudi Pro League, on £497,000 a week. The best-paid in League Two ranks 34th of the 43 leagues on that measure.
Where to next
The same League Two squads, cut a different way
See the highest paid League Two players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what League Two players are paid at every age, or League Two wage bill, club by club.