PFA chief Gordon Taylor hits back at government for targeting footballers with pay-cut demand

PFA chief Gordon Taylor has hit back at the health secretary Matt Hancock over his criticism of footballers, asking why bankers haven’t faced similar government pressure to take pay-cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hancock singled out elite footballers during a press conference last week, calling for stars to “play their part”. By that point, conversations had already begun between players from all 20 top flight clubs over a plan to help support the NHS, leading to the #PlayersTogether initiative launching on Wednesday.

In the interim, the Premier League had proposed a 30 per cent wage deferral for all its players, but the idea was rejected by the PFA, who warned that such a cut would cost the government £200million in tax contributions.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, Taylor revealed his frustration at events of the past week.

"I find it quite extraordinary that government doesn't realise - and it should do because of what the game puts back into the economy - the money that football spends on its community initiatives, the tax it pays," Taylor said.

"And just to highlight footballers when there are many other sportsmen, bankers, hedge funds -- I could give you a long list of people in jobs for life whose income is more.

"Footballers have reached the top of a mountain that has took a long, long time to climb and they get what they deserve.

"Premier League players felt that they were being put into a corner, particularly by government. They also saw the irony that even if they took a pay cut... that money would be lost to the government... and that would be counterproductive."