Wayne Rooney: Football players made scapegoats in coronavirus pay debate

Derby County player-coach Wayne Rooney has criticised both the Government and the Premier League for placing the nation's top footballers in a "no-win situation" over the issue of pay cuts, calling it "a disgrace".

The former England captain wrote a column in the Sunday Times in which he claimed his fellow professionals were being lined up as "easy targets" in the wider response to the coronavirus crisis.

Rooney made it clear he had both the means and the will to make significantfinancial contributions, either in the form of salary reductions or directdonations to the NHS, but felt the public pressure being put on players was unhelpful.

The issue of professional football players has been under the spotlight after Premier League clubs including Tottenham and Liverpool furloughed members of staff without reducing the wages of players.

The move means that the government will pay their workers 80% of wages, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.

The Premier League has since come up with proposals to cut players' wages by 30% but Rooney says players should have been consulted first.

"It seemed strange to me because every other decision in this process has been kept behind closed doors, but this had to be announced publicly," he added.

"Why? It feels as if it's to shame the players - to force them into a cornerwhere they have to pick up the bill for lost revenue."

"In my opinion it is now a no-win situation. Whatever way you look at it,we're easy targets."

"If the Government approached me to help support nurses financially or buyventilators I'd be proud to do so - as long as I knew where the money wasgoing," wrote Rooney.

"I'm in a position where I could give something up. Not every footballer is inthe same position. Yet suddenly the whole profession has been put on the spot with a demand for 30 per cent pay cuts across the board. Why are footballers suddenly the scapegoats?

"How the past few days have played out is a disgrace. He (Hancock) wassupposed to be giving the nation the latest on the biggest crisis we've faced in our lifetimes. Why was the pay of footballers even in his head? Was he desperate to divert attention from his Government's handling of this pandemic?"

Coronavirus: Everything you need to know

Check the number of cases in your area with our interactive map. Listen and subscribe to our podcast. All the coronavirus information you need in one place - from health and work to what you can do to stop the spread of the virus