Henderson hails 'amazing' players

Henderson hails 'amazing' players

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has spoken of his pride at how Premier League footballers have come together to contribute towards the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

As the country dealt with the awful situation presented by the global health crisis, top-flight footballers came in for criticism which intensified last month when Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on players to do more.

By then news was starting to filter out about a joint fund that Premier League captains were working on and Henderson has been widely credited with leading the #PlayersTogether scheme that was announced on April 8.

The initiative is directing funds to the NHS Charities Together group for distribution to good causes working to provide support to NHS staff and patients.

Speaking for the first time about the venture, Henderson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We wanted to make sure it was the right thing we were doing and we wanted to do it properly.

"It did take a bit of time but ultimately we've come together and done an amazing thing and raised a lot of money for charities that need it and support the people who need it, which has been massive for them.

"It's been a real positive thing during this lockdown that we've all come together to try to help as best we can in this awful time.

"All players were amazing, all captains were amazing, all representatives from each team were amazing. Even players that aren't captains within the squads of different teams were also amazing.