Gordon Taylor has defended his £2million salary as PFA chief executive amid a “civil war” at the players’ union.
Accounts revealed that for 2017/18 Taylor, who has held the post since 1981, is the highest-paid trade union official in the world.
“I don’t know if people think I write my own salary out,” Taylor told The Athletic. “I can assure you that’s not the case. When I’m representing players, I would always do my best for them.
"We don’t hold a gun to peoples’ heads. My salary is made public every year and it has to be, as part of being a trade union. We pay out much more in welfare benefits in a year than my salary.”
After a rift with chairman Ben Purkiss in 2018, Taylor — as a result of a petition signed by more than 300 members — announced he would step down from his role following a full independent review.
“It’s been a type of civil war within the PFA,” said Taylor.
“It has caused a split. I can only work with my staff in accordance with what they agree, so it’s made things busy and caused a difficulty in being flexible.”
