White Juan Man

They are the new football elite, the mega-money stars of the Premiership's richest club.

And it is only natural the glamour boys of Chelsea should invest some of their vast signingon fees in football's favourite status symbol - the supercar.

The car park at the club's Heathrow training ground is grander than any Mayfair showroom and boasts the latest and most lavish cars on the market.

But the club's highest-profile signing, £15 million Juan "The Man" Veron, chose a very different vehicle to arrive at training - a white van. Veron could have opted for any of his four Ferraris (in blue, black, grey and yellow) or even his jeep. Perhaps he was trying to keep a low profile as he settled in among the rest of Roman Abramovich's superstar signings, or perhaps he did not want to provoke the jealousy of the Chelsea old boys likely to be pushed aside this season.

If that was his plan, it backfired - nothing could be more incongruous among the gleaming Mercedes and Porsches than a battered white van with a Premiership star in the front seat.

It may even have been an attempt to quash criticism from those in his native Argentina who said the vast sums he was earning lessened his motivation during the last World Cup. Certainly, he was never seen in a white van during his stay at Manchester United - where the players' car park was a treasure trove of the latest, most expensive supercars to hit the market.

And on a rumoured £95,000 per week, he can certainly afford the £83-a-day rental charge for the minibus.