CAPTAINS FANTASTIC TAKE THE LEAD
Liverpool’s main man Henderson sparks cash injection for NHS heroes
THEY got together quickly to form a multi-million-pound plan to help the real heroes. Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson was at the heart of a conference call between all 20 of the Premier League captains yesterday. Manchester United’s Harry Maguire had already messaged all of his team-mates to see if they would be willing to donate a percentage of their salary to charity. Maguire has suggested 30 per cent to the United players, which means their contribution will run into millions – and that just epitomised the collective spirit within football. Henderson wants no credit for his part in setting up the fund but wants to help the NHS and NHS workers. Maguire also believes it is important that a club the size of United sets the right example. The talks have already got as far as discussing setting up an account with banks and how the money should be distributed and how cash should be paid in.
The players were fed up of taking a collective battering from an outdated perception they are greedy and not willing to “do their bit” as Health Minister Matt Hancock had suggested.
They were even angry at the Professional Footballers’ Association statement that was painfully wordy and took so long to get to the point. It was the players who had wanted the PFA to put something out to clarify their position, but it ended up as an own goal.
The PFA did not want players to accept pay cuts when, ultimately, that just meant their salaries would go back into a game which, at the top end, is already awash with cash. And, let’s not kid ourselves, many of those big Premier League clubs have got enough money to pay their staff without having to put them on the Government furlough scheme. If Tottenham can pay Daniel Levy, left, £7million they can surely pay office staff.
The players generally are happy to make generous donations for the right causes – and that means putting serious cash into NHS charities like Heroes. This generation of England players such as Raheem Sterling, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dele Alli, Henderson and Maguire have a social conscience. They are young, healthy and wealthy but also see beyond their own
personal interest but the PFA statement was in serious danger of making them look like the bad guys.
There was already a push from players to do their own thing even before the backlash amid the ugly stand-off between the players’ union, the Premier League and the EFL.
But what did stick in the throat was the accusation that they do not do enough – and that is wildly unfair on a whole raft of players.
Henderson will now ask Liverpool to liaise and work with other clubs to work out an agreement so all players can contribute a percentage of their salaries to the NHS or related charities. One idea is to set up a collective fund to help raise cash to buy the sort of protective equipment that many
NHS heroes do not have. United captain Maguire, already proving himself to be a strong leader at Old Trafford, gathered support, spoke to some individually and then put round a WhatsApp message to sound them out on making donations.
The support was overwhelming and a brilliant gesture, whether it be for the Manchester hospitals or a collective fund.
One big-name England player has put a huge personal donation into an NHS charity because he wants to – not for publicity or praise.
Another Premier League club was incensed with the public backlash against players and a chief executive made it clear he was appalled because his players had been “outstanding”. There had been a five-figure donation to charity, tireless work for the club’s foundation and there is a frustration that, yet again, it is footballers being called out rather than bankers, pop stars or wealthy businessmen who earn much more than many players.
Some players will accept deferrals and that, after the Premier League’s statement, will now be discussed on figures of up to 30 per cent – and, if no more football happens in three months, they will ask for wage cuts.
These are unprecedented times but the footballers at the top of the game have responded to the call to arms – and are more than ready to do their bit.
These young players do have a social conscience