Hearts captain Steven Naismith has vowed to take a 50% pay cut to help the club survive the financial hit likely to be caused by the outbreak of coronavirus.
Like most other top leagues around the world, Scottish football has had to come to a temporary halt to help contain the spread of the bug COVID-19, with football crowds an obvious place where large numbers of people could quickly become infected.
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This could all be hugely damaging for smaller clubs in particular, however, as they rely on money made from ticket sales, so it’s good to see Hearts skipper Naismith leading by example here.
As reported by the Daily Mirror, the former Everton and Norwich City man is prepared to commit to the club despite taking a 50% pay cut in a bid to help keep the team afloat and support other employees working within the club.
“The current circumstances put everyone in a very difficult position, but this isn’t a problem of Hearts’ making,” Naismith said in a statement, as quoted by the Mirror.
“My family and I feel that, through a long career, football has been very good to us. Therefore, I personally feel that I can and should accept the 50 per cent reduction in wages.
“I hope this can contribute in some way to the long-term survival of the club at a challenging time and save jobs, especially those that are the lowest earners and hence those who will be struggling the most at this time.
“I know every one of my team-mates have unique circumstances with their finances, homes and families. I can assure everyone they are all doing what they can.”
Naismith has a contract with Hearts until 2023, and one has to hope this fine gesture can make a difference, while it will also be interesting to see if players at other clubs have to follow suit.