Wayne Rooney is spearheading Derby County players' negotiations with the club's board over wage deferrals, with the two parties currently in a standoff.
The Manchester United and England legend has served as the Rams' club captain since he returned to England as a player-coach from MLS side DC United earlier this year.
And Rooney is unwilling to agree to the board's proposal of players going without half of their wages, which would be paid at a later date.
The 34-year-old has instead informed CEO Stephen Pearce that players are only willing to agree to a 25 per cent wage deferral.
Rooney has also contacted Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor and made a WhatsApp group to keep the squad informed of developments, according to the Daily Mail.
The Championship side's players are understood to want the club to share their accounts so they can make an informed decision on whether to take wage deferrals - and their counter-offer of a 25 per cent deferral could be withdrawn if this demand is not met.
Players across the country remain sceptical regarding owners' motives in calling for wage cuts and deferrals, with some maintaining that bosses are using the coronavirus outbreak as a chance to save money.
Though Rooney could afford to agree to a 50 per cent wage deferral, he is negotiating on behalf of squad members who could not.
"I'm in a position where I could give something up," he wrote in the Sunday Times earlier this month.
"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?"
Rooney has settled quickly at Pride Park, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 15 appearances in midfield.
