Mario Balotelli’s Liverpool contract contained a behaviour clause that would earn him £1m at the end of every season – providing he was not sent off three times.

The 26-year-old left the Merseyside club for Nice during the summer on a free transfer after two seasons, where he only played 24 games for the Reds.

However, despite the lack of appearances, Balotelli would have received a £1m lump sum at the end of each season if he abided by a set of rules imposed – including not spitting or being offensive towards another player, according to The Sunday Times.

Balotelli has had a series of infamous incidents relating to his behaviour and Liverpool were so keen to keep him on the straight and narrow they were willing to invest £3m over the course of the Italian’s three-year-deal.

And the clauses seem to have worked, with Balotelli not being sent off once in his time on Merseyside.

The clause reportedly read: "If during each season of the term of this contract the player is not dismissed from the field of play on three or more occasions for violent conduct, spitting at an opponent or any other person, for using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures and/or for dissent by word or action ... then on the 30th June at the end of each season he shall receive a bonus payment of £1 million."

He was also not allowed “to be referred to more than three times from the field”, meaning he had to keep his off-the-field behaviour in check too.

Furthermore, the contract revealed the striker was on £85,000-a-week, as well as a bonus of £25,000 for each of his first five goals in the Premier League or European competition, before £50,000 per goal after that.

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