‘People are dying… So why are we rushing to start an unnecessary sport?’: Glenn Murray urges the Premier League to slam the brakes on Project Restart as he reveals players are split over safety fears
- Premier League captains took part in a video conference call on Wednesday
- Glenn Murray has revealed there is a reluctance among some players to return
- The Brighton striker has questioned the wisdom behind rushing back to action
- The likes of Sergio Aguero and Danny Rose have also voiced their own concerns
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Brighton striker Glenn Murray has questioned the motives behind rushing the Premier League back into action.
The league are liaising with clubs and players in a bid to agree suitable conditions for action to return, with players currently easing themselves back into individual training.
Some players have been vocal in their opposition to Project Restart, with the likes of Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero and Newcastle United loanee Danny Rose both voicing their concerns of football returning.
Glenn Murray has questioned the logic behind Project Restart during the coronavirus crisis
Murray represented Brighton as captains from all 20 Premier League clubs held a conference
And Murray has become the latest to cast doubt over the wisdom of ushering players back on to the pitch in the midst of a global pandemic.
‘Football is certainly not a necessity,’ he told Sky Sports’ Football Show.
‘It’s a game and it’s a sport. I can’t understand why after just loosening the lockdown why we’re in such a rush to get it back.
‘Can’t we wait a month and see what happens. Why can’t we wait to see what happens, rather than start an unnecessary sport when people are dying.’
Murray was sitting in as Brighton’s representatives on the video conference call between the Premier League and club captains as they discuss the safest way to return to action, with West Ham’s Mark Noble and Troy Deeney of Watford both understood to be particularly vocal on the call.
Clubs, such as West Ham, have set up coronavirus testing within their training bases to keep a track on the status of their players to ensure there is no spread of the disease within squads.
Clubs such as West Ham have introduced coronavirus testing at thei training bases for players
But the 36-year-old revealed that there is a reluctance among some players to return to action, with some worried about putting others at risk.
‘It was a long chat, in-depth and we mainly spoke about the first phase, not phase two or three. Phase one is returning to training grounds on social distancing levels, two is stepping into contact. Most of the players are pretty happy with phrase one,’ he said.
‘There’s a lot of people with different situations, living with vulnerable people, pregnant wives and girlfriends.
‘It’s been well documented about the BAME community being more at risk. It’s a tough one moving into phase two and I think there is some reluctance among players.
Watford striker Troy Deeney is understood to have been vocal during the conference call
‘Phase two hasn’t been drawn up yet but we’re looking towards a mid-June restart to the PL. Phase one couldn’t be too long because you’d need to step into phase two and three before the restart.
‘You know what it’s like to get 25 lads on board and they’ve not all got the same mentality. We’ve got people from across the world.
‘When I say some players may be reluctant to return I don’t want that to be perceived as the snowflake mentality. That’s not the case at all. It’s more the people we’re going home to that we’re worried about.
‘We just need to take everyone’s situation into consideration.’