Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has announced an initiative called #PlayersTogether which will directly aid the NHS and associated charities.
A joint statement says the plan is the product of "numerous talks together with the vision of creating a contribution fund that can be used to distribute money to where it's needed most in this COVID-19 crisis: helping those fighting for us on the NHS frontline as the other key areas of need."
Footballers' response to the coronavirus crisis has come under ever more intense scrutiny over the past week.
But one of the most vocal critics - British Health Secretary Matt Hancock - has welcomed the plan, saying players are now "playing their part".
Henderson is believed to have been the spearhead for this plan.
The Premier League had suggested a 30 per cent pay cut across the board, a plan that was met with opposition by the players' union - the PFA.
But the #PlayersTogether plan is a product of collaboration designed to "create a voluntary initiative, separate to any other club and league conversations that can help get much needed funds to those that need it right now."
The full #PlayersTogether statement reads:
Over the course of the last week we, as a group of Premier League players have held numerous talks together with the vision of creating a contribution fund that can be used to distribute money to where it's needed most in this COVID19 crisis: helping those fighting for us on the NHS frontline as the other key areas of need. This is a critical time for our country and for our NHS, and we are determined to help in any way we can.
We can confirm that after extensive conversations between a huge number of players from all Premier League clubs we have created our own collective player initiative, #PlayersTogether, and we have partnered together with NHS Charities Together (NHSCT) in order to assist them in generating and distributing funds quickly and efficiently to where they are needed most.
NHSCT is the national umbrella organisation for over 150 registered NHS charities, working closely with the Charity Commission, Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS England to represent, champion, and support the NHS' official charities. NHSCT are the official charity partner of the NHS nationally.
The contributions that this team will generate will help the NHSCT quickly grant funds to the front line to support in a number of ways, including to help enhance the well-being of NHS staff, volunteers and patients impacted by COVID-19 as well as helping them in their work supporting many other critical areas of need both now and in the longer term.
#PlayersTogether is about we, as players, collaborating together to create a voluntary initiative, separate to any other club and league conversations that can help get much needed funds to those that need it right now. To try and help, along with so many others in the country, make a real difference.
Our prayers and thoughts go out to everybody affected by this crisis. By sticking together, we will get through this.
Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.
#PlayersTogether
This is insane. A quick search of #Playerstogether on Instagram. All the players really have bought into this... pic.twitter.com/MEsg2OQFJ4
— Christian (@Christianjw92) April 8, 2020
