Tom Pope lifts lid on life as a footballer on lockdown with a plea to government

dailystar.co.uk:

Port Vale skipper Tom Pope says Matt Hancock should be more concerned about the mental health of EFL players than Premier League salaries.

All football is currently postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, although is expected to return behind closed doors in the summer.

League Two outfit Vale have furloughed players and staff but the club are also contributing so that employees are paid in full.

Not all clubs have been so lucky as sides look to slash costs with no incoming revenue. Pope says the Covid-19 pandemic means everyone is feeling the strain mentally. “We’re better off than most because we’ve got an owner who cares so much about the players and staff,” he said. “But other clubs are really going to struggle.