Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, has taken aim at Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
The Health Secretary was quick to highlight the supposed lack of support being offered by players in the Premier League and called on them to "take a pay cut and play their part" in a press briefing on Thursday.
But after reports emerged stating that Premier League captains were already in discussions about how players could help during the coronavirus outbreak, plenty from within the game have hit back at Hancock for his comments.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney said the way the last few days had panned out have been a "disgrace" and called into question Hancock's reasons for focusing on footballers at this moment in time.
"I've seen that some, for instance footballers, are now making significant donations to charities and I really welcome that, that's exactly what we need to see," the Health Secretary told ITV News on Sunday when asked about players’ response.
"But instead of having a row about this I think that people should come together and make a contribution.
"The hospices of this country have traditionally been largely funded by charity and charity shops.
"Those shops have had to close so I'm putting more money - taxpayer's money - into hospices to support them but why don't our footballers club together and support our hospices and support the national effort that we're all in?
"I think that is the sort of thing that would go down really well and help bring the country together."
But despite Hancock’s latest comments, that didn’t stop PFA chief Taylor taking aim at the Health Secretary's comments on Sunday night.
"I found it astonishing that Matt Hancock could come out like that when he's got his own issues with trying to get the necessary protective health equipment for our NHS workers and didn't have the tests in place either,” he told Telegraph Sport.
Before adding: "I think if they can't do that and explain the position fully then they have every right to expect players to mistrust what is happening.”
Taylor also confirmed that he has called on clubs to give the detailed financial information in order to make sure any money donated by players goes to the right places.
"Exactly that. They want complete due diligence,” he said when asked if players were concerned about where the money would go.
“They're not stupid. They've not just got their brains in their feet. They want to know the reasons for it and where it's going."
