Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has asked the rest of the squad to donate 30% of their wages to charity.
The England international has sent a message to his teammates to make a generous pledge to Manchester hospitals, according to the Mirror.
It’s added that the players are overwhelmingly in support of the donation as they want to be seen as doing their bit, following extensive talks between Maguire and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward about the players making a charitable donation.
United are not keen for their players to take a pay cut but are on board with the desire to make a charitable donation, which comes after Premier League stars were criticised for not ‘doing their bit’ by Health Minister Matt Hancock.
The Professional Footballers’ Association put out a statement on Thursday night suggesting players would take deferrals but not cuts while criticising clubs for putting staff on furlough schemes when they could afford to pay them.
That has sparked debate in football but also annoyed players who, behind the scenes, have been making donations but want their money to go to charity and the NHS rather than back to wealthy Premier League teams.
Many players have already made huge donations without wanting any publicity and may put together a collective statement to show support after the PFA’s stance was criticised.
Among those to have offered support amid the coronavirus pandemic include Wilfried Zaha, who has offered accommodation to NHS staff via his ZoProperties firm alongside business partner Obi Williams.
Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld has also pledged to purchase tablets to allow people who are ill to be able to contact their families, while Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has recently been working alongside the charity Age UK near Spurs’ training complex in Enfield, helping to deliver food to those either self-isolating or unable to get out.
