Wayne Rooney admits Premier League players will still live beyond their means despite their mammoth salaries.
Top flight players are under pressure to take a pay cut amid the coronavirus pandemic which has seen thousands of people lose their jobs or be placed on furlough.
But while they have faced criticism for retaining their salaries Rooney understands why they may also struggle financially.
The former Manchester United star said in his Times column that players will be relied upon to support their families in these unprecedented times.
He also spoke from personal experience after confessing to purchasing a car that he didn't have the money for, but is the kind of act young footballers will do.
He said: "Of course, Premier League pay in most cases is higher but there will be younger players who just aren’t on the kind of money where they can be forced to lose 30 per cent.
"And, like everyone else in the world, footballers spend according to their means. Some players will buy houses they can’t really afford, some buy cars they don’t need.
"Whether that’s right or wrong, it’s the reality. When I was a kid at Everton I bought a £20,000 Audi before I had the money because that’s the kind of daft thing you do at that age.
"What would have happened to me? Then you have all the players with family members being laid off and who will be under even more pressure to support them."
Rooney, who currently plays in the second tier with Derby, also feels like the players can no longer win despite their willingness to take a pay decrease.
He continued: "For the Premier League to just announce the proposal, as it has done, increases the pressure on players and in my opinion it is now a no-win situation.
"If players come out and say they can't agree or are not willing to cut by 30%, even if the real reasons are that it will financially ruin some, it will be presented as 'Rich Players Refuse Pay Cut'."
