'Wayne Rooney Hits Back At The Government And Premier League Over Pay Cut Row

Wayne Rooney has called out the government and Premier League over their handling of the footballer pay cut row.

The 34-year-old pulled no punches when addressing the authorities and says footballers have been made "scapegoats" amid the coronavirus crisis.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said footballers should take pay cuts and Rooney believes his public message was completely unnecessary.

"If the government approached me to help support nurses financially or buy ventilators I'd be proud to do so - as long as I knew where the money was going," he wrote in his column for the Sunday Times.

"I'm in a position where I could give something up. Not every footballer is in the 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."

Image: PA

The Manchester United legend added: "First the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, in his daily update on coronavirus, said that Premier League players should take a pay cut.

"He was supposed 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?"

Marcus Rashford has paid for 400 thousand people to be fed in Manchester , that’s more than all Matt hancocks hedge funded mates have done I’m sure ? https://t.co/1YjXRapdiE

— Joshua Windass (@WindassJnr) April 2, 2020

All 20 Premier League captains were on a call this am and area discussed was giving a donation, which wd be many millions of pounds, to NHS. No specifics decided on yet but call was chaired by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. Plans affordable long before Matt Hancock comments.

— Martha Kelner (@marthakelner) April 3, 2020

Footballers have stepped up and tried to help the country with Marcus Rashford raising over £20 million in food for children, while Jordan Henderson has discussed with fellow Premier League captains about donating to the NHS.

source https://www.sportbible.com/football/news-rooney-hits-back-at-the-government-and-premier-league-over-pay-cut-row-20200406