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Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes footballers deserve more credit for the work they do to help good causes behind the scenes.

Players have come under increasing pressure during the coronavirus pandemic with health secretary Matt Hancock urging top-flight professionals to “take a pay cut and play their part” on Thursday.

The Premier League suggested players take a 30 per cent wage cut or deferral but the Professional Footballers’ Association has warned such a move could result in a £200million tax deficit.

Dyche told talkSPORT: “I can only presume he (Matt Hancock) was immediately ill informed. I can’t talk about other businesses, I can only speak about the football industry because I have been in it all of my life.

“I have seen footballers do so many good things, so many things financially, so many things with time, care effort and attention.

“It is such a massive generalisation for Mr Hancock to throw that in. I can only hope he was ill informed and over the weekend a bit of balance has been brought in.”

Dyche continued: “They (players) all have their own version of responsibility. It is hard to say ‘you should be doing this’ because you don’t know what they are doing.

“Myself, I back Kidney Research UK and I do it for family reasons. I shouldn’t be telling you that but I feel the need to say ‘hang on a minute I do more than you think I do’.

“There are loads of people doing lots of good things for various situations.

“I know for a fact that individual players are doing things from their own pockets for different causes.

“What happens then is they do all that and someone comes along and says ‘right we are taking this from you’ they go ‘hang on a minute I am already doing all this’.

“You have to be careful and remind people that a lot of players are giving a lot at the minute.”

Dyche also believes that the Premier League’s return is likely to be behind closed doors but thinks the return of football could provide fans with a much-needed boost.

“That seems to be sounds from the powers that be. They’re suggesting the most likely case of coming back is behind closed doors,” he added.

“If that’s what needs to be done to get it back up and running and people are ok with that, then I think it is an important thing for the country if and when it can be done and can be done safely.

“It’s not perfect because it gives it a whole different feel without fans, but I think it’s good for the greater good for people to have something to get hold of sport-wise.”

Source: PA

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