Southampton have become the first Premier League club to announce that their players and coaching staff will defer part of their salaries as the shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic continues.

In a statement on Thursday the Premier League club also said it would not be using the government’s job retention scheme.

“The board of directors, the first-team manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, his coaching staff and the first-team squad have agreed to defer part of their salaries for the months of April, May and June to help protect the future of the club, the staff that work within it and the community we serve,” the statement read.

Premier League players have found themselves in the spotlight during the health crisis for resisting calls from the clubs to accept wage deferrals and cuts to reduce wage bills.

The players’ union, the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), has yet to agree to a cut and argued after a meeting with the Premier League that reduced wages would lower tax revenue for the National Health Service (NHS).

However, Premier League players on Monday launched the ‘#PlayersTogether’ initiative themselves to generate and distribute funds to the NHS.

With no common approach being taken by England’s elite clubs, Southampton’s announcement could now put pressure on other teams.

Meanwhile, the English Football League’s (EFL) chairman, Rick Parry, has told member clubs it needs about 56 days to complete the 2019-20 season and intends to conclude the campaign with the playoffs in all three divisions.

United’s initiative

Manchester United have donated medical equipment and provided vehicles for courier operations to support the NHS in their battle against the coronavirus pandemic, the Premier League club said.

Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in the club’s history, said he was “delighted” that the NHS was being recognised, having been under their care in 2018 when he underwent emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage.