Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, had taken it upon himself to stir up a hornets’ nest by publicly asking Premier League players to play their part in mitigating the effects of the deadly coronavirus pandemic by making their contribution to the NHS in taking a pay cut across the board.
Adding insult to injury, he also enjoined them to honour the sacrifices made by his colleagues and co-workers in the frontline of the NHS as they labour daily to combat the pandemic. This all amounted to a major slur and a shabbily disguised accusation that the players of the League are in fact cold, uncaring souls with no compunction to care for the plight and well-being of others who are less fortunate.
While Hancock should have spent his time pondering over how the country would get past the threat of a coronavirus that has claimed thousands of lives on these shores, he did a Jose Mourinho about-turn instead and created a ruckus on another front to deflect attention by demanding that football’s top stars take a pay cut with his holier-than-thou demeanour.
“Given the sacrifices people are making, including some of my colleagues in the NHS, who have made the ultimate sacrifice and gone into work and caught the disease and have sadly died,” he said last week.
“I think the first thing Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution; take a pay cut and play their part.”
Cleverly composing the scenario of a grossly overworked NHS frontline and framing this against the high incomes paid to Premier League players was a shameless attempt by the Secretary to portray football’s working-class millionaires as the villains of the day.
It indeed begs the question why the NHS is so insistently reliant on handouts from a group of people who in reality make up just two per cent of the UK’s millionaire workforce? Clearly this was a diversionary ruse machinated to create some soundbites, deflect attention from key pressing issues and slyly pass the buck elsewhere to some unsuspecting victims. After all, the hard-pressed NHS frontline has already been cut bare to the bone by Hancock’s own departmental policies so why not let someone else take the fall for that?
Had Hancock been diligent and done his subsequent research, he would have discovered that the wheels were already turning for football’s top earners eager to help out their nation in crisis, and that they did not in any way deserved to be called out and be shamed.
A few days prior to the negative press reaction from Hancock’s comments, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson was already rounding up his fellow skippers in the league to pitch to them the idea of a players’ initiative to raise funds in a concerted attempt to help out in any way they could.
Henderson’s idea was instantly met with widespread backing and within a week, the #PlayersTogether initiative was birthed. This voluntary scheme is essentially the creation of a contribution fund where money will be distributed where it is most needed at this time of national crisis.
“Jordan Henderson might be the captain of the European champions but he is also a working-class lad from Sunderland who deserves full credit for bringing us all together, showing what makes a true leader,” said Burnley skipper Ben Mee.
Hancock would also feel pathetically hollow to know that his insidious comments come in the same week it was revealed that Sadio Mane is building a hospital back in his Senegal homeland to go alongside the school already created in his name. The 28-year-old also donated £41,000 last month to help the coronavirus fight.
As for Liverpool, no less than 27 squad members have already confirmed their support for the #PlayersTogether initiative.
What else could Hancock do but post a lame tweet on Thursday night, “Warmly welcome this big-hearted decision from so many Premier League footballers to create #PlayersTogether to support NHS Charities. You are playing your part.”
It is just amazing how low some can stoop just to exploit any situation that can serve their own cause at the expense of others.
As for Jordan Hendeerson, whether he is sending a message of support to the families of the Hillsborough victims or marking Remembrance Day with a poignant social media post, he has always carried himself and his club with class and humility.
It should come as no surprise now to hear about this distinctive leader of men selflessly leading the charge against coronavirus with #PlayersTogether.