LEWIS HAMILTON NAMED AS RICHEST SPORTSMAN IN BRITAIN WITH £88M FORTUNE

Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton has been named as the richest sportsman in Britain with a fortune of £88m, an increase of £20m on the previous year.

In a good year for Formula One, McLaren’s Jenson Button occupies third place behind the Mercedes world champion, having amassed £71m.

Splitting the drivers is Wayne Rooney, the wealthiest player in the Premier League with £72m. His £300,000-a-week contract at Manchester United has four seasons to run and should mean the 29-year-old will join David Beckham as the only British footballer to amass a fortune of more than £100m.

Next up is Andy Murray with £48m. Winning Wimbledon in 2013 following his triumph at the US Open in 2012 and a gold medal at that summer’s Olympic Games in London have helped the flow of endorsements. He signed a three-year deal with Standard Life last year and a recent £15m four-year deal with Under Armour.

Rio Ferdinand (£44m), Steven Gerrard (£42m) and the basketball player Luol Deng (£40m). Among Premier League managers Chelsea’s José Mourinho (£40m) is just ahead of Arsenal’s Arsène Wenger (£38m).

Ryan Giggs, the assistant manager of Manchester United, and golf’s Rory McIlroy and Sir Nick Faldo are tied with Wenger in 10th on the Sunday Times Rich List, ahead of Frank Lampard in ninth with £39m.