Sheffield United captain prepares for historic meeting with the Premier League

The discussions have been scheduled to try and convince top-flight players to accept a 30 per cent wage cut, after the fixture suspension was yesterday suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus crisis.

In order to try and avoid accusations they represent an attempt to circumnavigate the Professional Footballers’ Association, which earlier this week requested more financial information from club owners before considering their proposal, the union’s chief executive Gordon Taylor has also been invited to attend the teleconference.

Although the PFA and its members are minded to either forgo or defer a slice of their salaries until matches resume, there are concerns about many teams’ decision to take advantage of the Government’s worker retention scheme by placing non-footballing staff on furlough only months or days after awarding pay rises or bonuses to members of their hierarchies.

Tottenham Hotspur, where a 20 per cent reduction for the next two months has effectively been imposed on 550 employees, paid chairman Daniel Levy £4m last year and also handed him a £3m bonus for delivering their new stadium. Levy is also subject to the financial measure, which was announced by Spurs last week.

Recognising players must "share the financial burden", a statement issued by the PFA noted. “However, our current position is that – as businesses – if clubs can afford to pay their players and staff, they should.

“The players we have spoken to recognise that the non-playing staff are a vital part of their club and they do not want to see club staff furloughed unfairly.

“Any use of the government’s support schemes without genuine financial need is detrimental to the wider society.”

Simon Moore, United’s PFA delegate, has briefed his team mates on the details of the union’s most recent meeting with the PL, while Sharp has liaised with Jordan Henderson, his counterpart at Liverpool, who is organising a fund enabling players from the country’s leading teams to make donations towards the NHS.

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