The England men’s team have made a “significant
donation” to the National Health Service to help the fight against the
coronavirus.
Gareth Southgate’s squad have used match fees dating back
to September 2018 to make the donation.
The cash will go to NHS charities and the move comes in
conjunction with the ‘Players Together’ movement involving Premier League stars
from a host of clubs.
A players’ fund already exists to support a selection of
good causes, with a portion now steered directly towards the under pressure
health service during the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement released on the official England Twitter feed
read: “Following positive discussions with The FA, the England senior
men’s squad are pleased to confirm that a significant donation from their
international match fees will be made to NHS Charities Together via the #PlayersTogether
initiative.
“This contribution will be taken from a fund already
set aside to support a variety of worthy causes using all match fees collated
since September 2018. We are also grateful to The FA for committing their
support to the #PlayersTogether initiative for the foreseeable future by
helping to raise awareness and funds to assist throughout the fight against
COVID-19 and beyond.
“This is in addition to the senior women’s squad’s
commitment to #PlayersTogether as we stand united as England players behind the
nation during this crisis and our collective prayers and thoughts remain with
all those affected.”
The England Footballers Foundation was set up in 2007 and
was reported to have generated over £5 million in the subsequent decade.
The current batch of funds, from which the NHS will
benefit, covers all senior men’s internationals since the 2018 World Cup, a
total of 16 matches.