Kriti Mehrotra
Vincent “Vinnie” Peter Jones is arguably one of the most controversial ex-defensive midfielders to ever play football (soccer). In fact, as a so-called hard man as well as a pivotal member of Wimbledon’s “Crazy Gang,” he still holds the record for the most red cards in English top-flight/Premier League history. He actually developed a reputation for being aggressive and uncompromising, which he somehow maintained and turned into a positive when he switched from athletics to entertainment. Netflix’s ‘Untold UK: Vinnie Jones’ chronicles all these aspects and more, essentially shedding light upon the incredible journey of the multi-faceted personality.
How Did Vinnie Jones Earn His Money?
Vinnie Jones was admittedly just a young boy growing up in Hertfordshire, England, when he first developed an interest in soccer thanks to his local environment and passionate parents. He thus began playing for his school’s team, where he quickly proved his mettle, to the point that he was named captain and encouraged to join the local village team to hone his skills. After high school, he turned semi-pro with Wealdstone FC to help them win the non-league Football Association (FA) Cup, while also pursuing a career in construction.
“Football to me was everything on this planet,” Vinnie said on the show. “My day job is on the building site. But, all around Watford now, I was known as a good player.” So, the hod carrier moved forward to play one season with a Swedish club, IFK Holmsund, in 1986 before finding a way to personally connect with the then-Wimbledon FC Manager to get signed. Hence, he jumped from a non-league semi-professional athlete to a rising in-league First Division player within 2 years, making his debut as the latter in the fall of 1986 at the age of 21.
Vinnie had no idea at the time that his ensuing camaraderie with his team would help them thrive – after all, they won their first-ever FA Cup in 1988 by beating the reigning champions, Liverpool. In these two seasons, the star midfielder and his teammates had even made a name for themselves as the “Crazy Gang,” with him standing out for his unwavering enthusiasm and toughness. However, things changed after the 1989-1999 season, when he chose to leave his beloved club to join Leeds United in the hopes of proving himself beyond others’ expectations.
Vinnie played a significant role in ensuring Leeds’ promotion from Second to First Division in his very first year, only to reportedly be played little the following year under new management. Thus, he moved to Sheffield United mid-season in September 1990, where he played a total of 35 games before being sold to Chelsea a year later in August 1991 – both contracts were very lucrative for him. Yet, by the time the summer of 1992 rolled around, there were talks of him returning to Wimbledon, and that’s precisely what he did around the same time the Premier League was formed.
Vinnie played for Wimbledon from 1992 to 1998, during which he helped them secure their best league finishes several times and reach the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup. He parted ways with the organization when he landed the opportunity not only to be a player-coach for Queens Park Rangers FC but also to join the entertainment industry as a serious actor (not a gimmick). Thanks to one of his grandmothers being Welsh, he also represented the Wales National Team from 1994 to 1997 before announcing his retirement from football in 1999 at age 34.
That’s when Vinnie really dove headfirst into the entertainment world, which he had already been dabbling in with appearances on shows like ‘Gladiators’ in 1993 and a stint in pro wrestling in 1998. He made his acting debut with the 1998 film ‘Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels’ and earned the Empire Award for Best Newcomer, only to follow it up with the 2000 movie ‘Snatch’ and the Empire Award for Best British Actor. His early credits also include ‘Gone in 60 Seconds,’ ‘Mean Machine,’ the 2005 sitcom ‘Extras,’ ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ ‘The Riddle,’ and ‘The Midnight Meat Train.’
Vinnie even appears in some incredible movies such as ‘Year One,’ ‘The Ballad of G.I. Joe,’ ‘The Battle of the Irishman,’ ‘Madagascar 3,’ ‘Escape Plan,’ ‘Reaper,’ and ‘Gridlocked’ between 2009 and 2015. As if that’s not enough, the former News of the World columnist also spent a few good years starring in renowned television shows like ‘Galavant,’ ‘Arrow,’ and ‘Law & Order: Organized Crime.’ His other credits include ‘The Midnight Man,’ ‘Madness in the Method,’ ‘The Big Ugly,’ ‘The Bezonians,’ ‘Deception,’ ‘Vinnie Jones in the Country,’ ‘The Gentlemen,’ and at least 5 other upcoming projects.
Vinnie Jones’ Net Worth
With almost 15 years as a professional football/soccer player and credits in over 100 films and television shows as of writing, Vinnie has done wonders. According to his accounts, he was making barely enough to survive when he first started playing his beloved sport semi-professionally, and that was when he combined it with his construction day job. Things changed when he signed with Wimbledon FC in 1986, as they paid Wealdstone £10,000 for him while also agreeing to set his personal base weekly salary at £150. He claimed in Netflix’s ‘Untold UK’ that it was good money at the time, especially since he soon realized he could make more through either public appearances or tabloids and national interviews.
Vinnie’s side hustles continued for years, and he even became a well-received columnist for News of the World in the 1990s, despite the controversies surrounding his alleged aggressiveness. It’s imperative to note that by this point, he’d been transferred from Wimbledon to Leeds United for £650,000, Leeds United to Sheffield United for £700,000, and Sheffield United to Chelsea for £575,000. However, since the Premier League was established in 1992 and more money started being involved, he likely earned millions during his second stint with Wimbledon from 1992 to 1998.
Then comes his brief stint as a player-coach, which likely helped him bag at least £500,000, before he transformed into a movie and television star whose base was again in the millions. We should mention that he currently also serves as a betting/sports columnist for Easyodds and is a farm owner who splits his time between Los Angeles, California, and Petworth, West Sussex. So, taking all these factors into consideration, along with his potential assets, investments, returns, and expenses, we believe Vinnie Jones’ net worth is at least £15 million (approximately $21 million).
