IN RESPONSE to the growing controversy surrounding Premier League player salaries, with a number of clubs sending non-playing staff out on furlough, top flight captains have joined a new initiative to help fund frontline NHS workers. 

Talks were held between all 20 captains, and despite the official line that they were not responding to criticism from the government last week, there has been substantial pressure on the richest league in the world to act decisively and compassionately.

Initiative

Speaking on behalf of their respective squads, the captains discussed a feasible approach that could be implemented quickly. Given the different kinds of challenges posed in specific areas of the country, the initiative will rely on information regarding how and where the money might be best distributed, which may vary considerably between London clubs and those in the North East, for example. 

With the PFA currently at an impasse with the Premier League regarding player salaries and wage deferrals, the league’s players have, unfairly or not, found themselves at the centre of  national debate.

Senior politicians, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and more recently Health Hecretary Matt Hancock, have publicly called on footballers to do more. 

Currently, there remains a significant discrepancy between Premier League club policies regarding the virus, with any good acts resulting from spontaneous moments of kindness rather than any kind of organised response. 

Important

News of club captains in conversation with one another is an important change of tact. Despite a number of high-profile players having already contributed towards aid measures, a united front among the league’s players represents a significant step towards a standardised and compulsory response that could save thousands of lives.