The returns to scarce talent: footedness and player remuneration in European soccer

The authors investigate the salary returns to the ability to play football (soccer) with both feet. The majority of footballers are predominantly right footed. Using two data sets, a cross section of footballers in the five main European leagues and a panel of players in the German Bundesliga, the authors find robust evidence of a substantial salary premium for two-footed ability, even after controlling for available player performance measures. The authors assess how this premium varies across the salary distribution and by player position.