Premier League English

Premier League stars to display heart-shaped badges on their shirts in support of NHS frontliners when season resumes

The frontliners selflessly devoting their time and services to keep the coronavirus pandemic at bay from the masses truly deserve heartfelt acknowledgement for their contribution to society. As a fitting tribute, and a token gesture to salute these men and women who have sacrificed so much besides risking their own health to keep society out of harm’s way, Premier League football clubs’ shirts are set to feature heart-shaped badges as a way of showing support to the National Health Service when the season resumes.

According to Sportsmail, league officials have contacted each side to inform them of plans to issue clubs with patches, which will be worn on the front of all players’ shirts during the first round of matches. Talks are ongoing, but the move is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

Sources have also disclosed that the Premier League is open to clubs adding further messages in support of charitable causes on their shirts and have asked their sides to let them know if they are planning such a move, so approval can be granted.

The patches are likely to go down well with the players, who launched their own collective ‘Players Together’ initiative to raise funds for the NHS in April. The initiative was set up by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and other Premier League skippers to help NHS workers and those on the front line of the fight against the raging coronavirus pandemic.

The earlier part of this week saw the initiative launching a raffle for 500 signed shirts in a campaign named ‘Shirts for Heroes’ where funds raised via the raffle, which is being run by online auctioneers eBay and includes shirts from all 20 clubs, will go to NHS Charities Together.