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Rooney in January. Bradley Collyer

Derby thank Wayne Rooney as players agree 'substantial' wage deferrals

The Championship club say the deferrals are ‘considerably’ more than the 25% that had been reported.

DERBY COUNTY MOVED to thank captain Wayne Rooney for playing a leading role he played in the club agreeing a wage deferral with players to help the Championship club during the coronavirus crisis.

Manager Phillip Cocu, his coaching staff, executives and non-playing staff have also deferred part of their salary. It had been reported that players would face a 25% reduction, but the club suggests that is an underestimation.

“First team players have voluntarily agreed a substantial deferral that is considerably more than has been reported in the media, while Phillip Cocu and his coaching team, and Chief Executive Officer Stephen Pearce and his staff have also agreed significant deferrals,” Derby said in a statement.

“Talks across the club have been held in the spirit of unity and co-operation, and everyone has been fully committed to help and play their part.

“The club would specifically like to thank Wayne Rooney, the team captain, and Curtis Davies, the Professional Footballers Association’s club representative, for their help and support.”

In a column in the Sunday Times early this month, Rooney said it was ‘a disgrace’ that footballers were being pressured to contribute to government coffers, suggesting health secretary Matt Hancock was diverting attention away from the Downing Street’s handling of the pandemic.

“I’m in a position where I could give something up,” said Rooney, “not every footballer is in the same position. Yet suddenly the whole profession has been put on the spot with a demand for 30% pay cuts across the board. Why are footballers suddenly the scapegoats?”

Derby seem set for another season in the second tier as they lay 12th in the table when the COVID-19 outbreak brought football to a halt last month.

A failure to finish the season is forecast to cost Premier League clubs an estimated £1 billion. However, the effects of the economic crisis could be even more severe further down the football pyramid as many clubs face a financial battle.

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    Mute Ed Byrne
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:01 PM

    Best of luck in the future Ben.

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    Mute Johnnie Sexton
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:19 PM

    Unfortunately he won’t be the last I reckon. Great player, best of luck ben.

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    Mute Tom Reilly
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:21 PM

    This is becoming an all too common occurrence. Years ago it was practically unheard of in Irish rugby. It has to beg the question if there are former rugby players suffering from undiagnosed concussion issues.

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    Mute hallelujah
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:22 PM

    @Tom Reilly: unfortunately a lot of Irish media would rather attack other sports than examine Rugby and concussion. Sorry for Mr Marshall.

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    Mute Billy Malone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:35 PM

    3 Connacht players retired from concussion in the past year, crazy

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:46 PM

    What other sports? As far as I can see head injuries in rugby and how they are dealt with is a regular topic in many media outlets. I don’t see any other sports being ‘attacked’.

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    Mute hallelujah
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:09 PM

    @sean o’dhubhghaill: have you ever seen Media, like Journal.ie coverage of GAA games? All you ever see is a foul or a “ruck”. You rarely see any of the goals or points.

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    Mute Rudiger McMonihan
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:03 PM

    The reason there are more concussions now days is because theyre being diagnosed. I remember playing as a kid and seeing guys get knocked out and play on. We had no idea how dangerous it was. Im not old either. The focus on concussion is a very new thing, so you cant compare different generations. I dont think its a size thing either. Plenty of backs get knocked out because they have an extra 20m to build up speed and hit each other with far more momentum than a prop would picking off the back of a ruck

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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:44 PM

    Most of the knocks to the head I’ve had came from either the knee or hip when I was making a tackle.

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    Mute Limón Madrugada
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    Jan 31st 2017, 9:58 PM

    Hitting my own players knee and head hitting hard ground on a Spanish pitch after being knocked back ; there’s two examples of how I got concussed on a rugby pitch , did I know ? No .did I play on ? Yes , did any else notice ? Not really . Awareness is much higher today as is good medical advice .

    Rest of my concussions were from a ( flawless) Fosbury flop in my own back garden and being assaulted on the street .

    I applaud the new rules to protect against concussion but some will always happen regardless of the measures taken .

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Jan 31st 2017, 4:46 PM

    This concussion thing needs to be brought to a head. Obviously there is too much hard hitting, rough play, violence or something going on here. Obviously players are being put at risk of serious injury here. Since professionalism came into it there is far too much walloping, and idiots watching it thinks that it is brilliant, not so brilliant when lads may end up like Muhammad Ali. Parents need to stand up here and look after their sons before someone is killed at this walloping.

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    Mute Cowboy Paddy
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:00 PM

    @Eugene Comaskey:
    My 10 cents on it is the height of the coalition, players are going higher to stop the off loading… The new rules in January should bring that down lower as a mistake in tackling higher could yield a Yellow or Red…

    The lower we force the tackle the more off loading there is? More Offloading the better the rugby..

    I would love to know what techniques or actions are causing concussions and we could address them

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    Mute blindside
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:08 PM

    More people get concussed on a Saturday night out, yet people still go out at the weekends, do you think we should stop that too ?

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