If he really was on a sub-minimum wage, that would make me an illegal employer?

Agree Oddshape,12 months without a penny and a mortgage round my neck, don’t know their born.

I haven't read all the comments, but there are perhaps two things to be taken from it:
1. He is a young player who has played the occasional game when other players are injured, and has spent time on loan. I would be surprised if he was on a lot anyway.
2. More relevant, perhaps, is that he has been offered a new contract, won't accept it, but may go off to rugby union. Is there a smack of contract brinksmanship about it?

He might be wiser to accept a new contract but a short one, prove himself, and if he does, demand a bigger one. As a winger, if he hasn't broken through by the time he's 23, he won't. At this stage, I would imagine he is regarded as a back-up winger only.

Same here mate, bought the house 6 months before we got married. the week after we got married it all came crashing down. The estate agents words "always take out the biggest mortgage you can afford" still haunt me to this day.

There was some dodgy builders in Cas back in the day, hope it was insured.

I remember Keane's £50k a week deal, he had a clause in his contract that stated he had to be the highest earner in the squad.

Ferguson had a clause in his that said he had to be the highest paid at the club.