Gary Neville says EFL have made the right move with 'problems brewing'

Gary Neville has praised the Football League for taking the right approach in asking League One and Tow players to take a 25 per cent wage deferral in April with “serious problems brewing”.
CO-OWNER: Gary Neville has a stake in League Two Salford CityCO-OWNER: Gary Neville has a stake in League Two Salford City
CO-OWNER: Gary Neville has a stake in League Two Salford City
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EFL recommends 25 per cent wage deferral for Rotherham United, Doncaster Rovers ...

The measure, which affects players at Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United, was proposed after lengthy talks with the players' union, the Professional Footballers' Association.

The move is only a recommendation, and clubs will now negotiate individually, but a working group has been set up to try to bring some level of co-ordination.

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Neville, a joint owner of League Tow Salford City, is worried about the number of lower-league players who are currently due to be unemployed in June.

"There is a serious problem brewing in the next few months,” he said. “Over 1,000 players in the Championship, League One and League Two are out of contract at the end of June and clubs haven't got the money to recycle them back into the game.

"It's going to be a shock for the whole of football but it will be the players at the lower end of the game who will suffer the most."

Under the proposals, no player will earn less than £2,500 a month after the deferrals have been implemented, but despite the fact that pay negotiations across the division are taking an extremely long time to be resolved, Neville thinks cuts are inevitable.

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"In the next few months there will have to be player cost reductions. It is an absolute given, " said Neville.

"What the EFL announced yesterday was the right approach."

Bradford and Doncaster players have been furloughed under the Government's Job Retention Scheme along with non-playing staff. The Government will pay 80 per cent of their wages but both clubs have volunteered to subsidise the remaining 20 per cent.

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