Newcastle ace Matty Longstaff pledges to donate 30 per cent of his wages to NHS… despite only earning £850 a week
Newcastle youngster Matty Longstaff has pledged to donate 30 per cent of his wages to the club's NHS fund - despite the midfielder only earning £850 a week.
The 20-year-old, who is yet to put pen-to-paper on a new contract at St James' Park, is one of the lowest earners in the Premier League.
First team players at Newcastle have joined together to put money towards the Premier League's 'Players Together' initiative designed to help the NHS staff who are fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
But despite earning significantly less than some of his peers, that hasn't stopped Longstaff making a classy gesture to the public health service.
Last week, health secretary Matt Hancock urged footballers to ‘play your part’ during the coronavirus outbreak by contributing towards the NHS, while the Premier League proposed 30 per cent wage cuts for all players.
However, there have been concerns among many players that any wage deferrals would go towards their respective clubs and owners and not towards the NHS, leading them to go it alone.
In a statement released by hundreds of Premier League stars on social media, including Henderson, England captain Harry Kane and Manchester United skipper Harry Maguire, it was explained that they had partnered with NHS Charities Together (NHSCT) – the national umbrella organisation for over 150 registered NHS charities – to ensure they can ‘distribute money to where it’s needed most’.
Longstaff has enjoyed a breakthrough season at his boyhood club and marked his debut with a stunning winner against Manchester United in a 1-0 win at St James' Park back in October.
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The England Under-20 star has already received an offer from an unnamed Serie A club, with talks over a new deal at Newcastle on hold owing to the impact of the global health crisis.
Should Longstaff fail to agree a new deal it would mean that Newcastle would receive just £400,000 in compensation when he joins another team.