TROY DEENEY has laid into the plans for Project Restart.
Watford’s outspoken captain has been a key figure in talks among Premier League stars.
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Troy Deeney was among those voicing concerns in Wednesday’s call to get the Premier League season restartedCredit: Reuters
And he insists he will not put a return to action before his family’s health — even if it means going broke.
He cannot see how:
- Football can return in June if people cannot get haircuts before July.
- Penalty areas will be packed while the rest of the nation is social distancing.
- Players can be tested regularly for Covid-19 when NHS staff and key workers are short of tests.
Deeney was one of senior Prem players briefed by medical experts on Covid-19 risks during a conference call on Wednesday.
He said: “I am not even talking about football at the moment — I am talking about my family’s health and that is it.
“If I feel that I’m not looking after my family then I’m not going to do it. I am not going to put my family at risk.
“What are they going to do, take money off me? I’ve been broke before so it doesn’t bother me.”
Prem chiefs have issued clubs with a list of protocols — including regular testing for Covid-19 — in a bid to get them back training ahead of resuming matches next month.
Deeney added: “They’re talking about not playing in front of fans until 2021.
“So if it’s not safe enough for fans to be inside a stadium why should it be safe for players to be in there?
“At corners, Watford have 11 men back so you’re talking about having 18 or 19 men in a penalty area. That’s not social distancing.
“They’re the kind of questions people have been asking but we haven’t had the best answers at the moment.
“Not because people don’t want to give you the answers, it’s because they can’t give you the answers.
“The Government say we can go back to work from June 1 but we can’t get a haircut until mid-July.
“We’re doing all this testing to get footballers back to work and then the NHS, care workers and the people on the front line don’t have enough tests.
“How do you justify that?
“I feel like they want to get us back to work so they can take more tax off you. Premier League players pay nearly £4billion in tax a year.”
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Black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus as white people in England and Wales.
And Deeney has raised concerns over the extra risk of Covid-19 to black, Asian and minority ethnic stars.
Speaking to Simon Hosannah on Instagram last night, he said: “Nothing more is in place for black people within any of the structures they are talking about.
“So when you ask that question and nobody can answer that question, why are you going to keep taking the risk?
“I am all for going back. But I am not for going back when it is not clear on how the steps are going to be made.”
Deeney has no problem playing behind closed doors but has warned about the issue of about the season restarting and then stopping again.
He said: “When you don’t have fans it’s like old school reserve games — but it’s not a problem for me.
“But what happens if a second wave of pandemic comes.
“Let’s say Villa won two games and us and West Ham dropped into the relegation zone.
“Do you stop the season and base it on that? It doesn’t make any sense.
“Liverpool should win it because they’ve been the best team. But we’re not talking football now, we’re talking safety.”
Paul Pogba will be hoping Project Restart can get him back playingCredit: Zenpix
Odion Ighalo used to partner Deeney at Watford – now he is itching to get going against with Manchester UnitedCredit: Zenpix
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
