Rooney brands Hancock a ‘disgrace’ over scapegoat claims

Former England captain, Wayne Rooney says the public pressure put on professional footballers to take pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic is a “disgrace”.

The former Manchester United forward believes the footballers have now been left in a “no-win situation” as a result.

British Secretary of State for Health and Social, Matt Hancock announced on Thursday, April 2, during his COVID-19 briefing that Premier League footballers should “play their part” during the crisis and make a contribution, inferring that they should take pay cuts.

The comments were made after some top-flight clubs used the government’s furlough scheme for non-playing staff with the Premier League also calling for players to take a 30 per cent pay cut.

This wasn’t well-received by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) as the body stated that such a move would lead to a loss in important revenue from tax contributions.

Rooney has now reacted to Hancock’s announcement made earlier in the week via his column for the Sunday Times.

“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,” Rooney who is currently the captain of Championship club, Derby County skipper wrote.

“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. First the health secretary, Matt Hancock, 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?” On the subject of the Premier League’s statement on lowering salaries, Rooney questioned the decision by the organisation to go public with such a proposal.

“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.

“Why? It feels as if it’s to shame the players – to force them into a corner where 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.

“The big clubs don’t need players to take pay cuts. Are you telling me Manchester United or Man City need 30 per cent of their players’ wages to survive? If that’s the case then football is in a far worse position than any of us imagined,” he added.