Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Wayne Rooney claims it’s only ‘fair’ Premier League season finishes to allow Liverpool to win ‘deserved’ title

The Derby striker ‘would not feel comfortable’ playing games behind closed doors

Jack Rathborn
Monday 23 March 2020 08:38 GMT
Comments
Coronavirus: What we know so far

Wayne Rooney insists Liverpool will win the Premier League title and it’s only “fair” that the current campaign is finished even if next season is lost in the process.

The Derby County striker claims football should not be different to any other industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

And that means not playing games behind closed doors and taking as much time as needed to finish the final 92 games remaining from this season.

“Liverpool will win the Premier League. [They] have been fantastic,” Rooney wrote in his Times column. “They have put so much work in.

“They deserve this title. Can you imagine waiting 30 years and then having it taken away like this? The right decision has been made. The fair thing is to finish 2019/20 — even if we have to lose next season in the process.”

Rooney argues games behind closed doors would not provide an adequate solution and that he “would not be comfortable” in that scenario.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if finishing the season takes until the end of 2020. Football, like every other industry, is in unknown territory and, just like every other industry, has to listen to the advice and take all necessary precautions. For me, that rules out finishing the season behind closed doors,” the former Manchester United star claimed.

Rooney would not be happy with playing games behind closed doors

“When you play behind closed doors it still means bringing together a fairly large group of people. You need ambulances, doctors, paramedics. They’re mandatory. Police may be needed too. Why bring them all to a football match when in this crisis they will be needed elsewhere for things that are far more important?

“I wouldn’t be comfortable playing a game knowing there were people dying or very sick because of coronavirus and we’re taking those workers away from the front line.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in