Health Secretary Matt Hancock has called on Premier League footballers to “take a pay cut” to play their part in the national effort to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak. He was asked if footballers should take a pay cut where staff at clubs have been furloughed – asked to take a leave of absence – because no matches are being played. He said: “I think that everybody needs to play their part in this national effort and that means Premier League footballers too. “Given the sacrifices that many people are making, including some of my colleagues in the NHS who have made the ultimate sacrifice of going into work and have caught the disease and have sadly died, I think the first thing that Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution, take a pay cut and play their part.”