Video: Darren Bent nails what Premier League players should be thinking amid wage cuts row

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A heated discussion has been sparked this week amid Premier League clubs opting to furlough non-playing staff amid the coronavirus crisis.

Tottenham and Newcastle Utd are among those to have used the scheme which sees the government pay 80% of wages of workers who currently have no work due to the outbreak, with the employer then having the option to top up the additional 20%.

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In Tottenham’s case, chairman Daniel Levy announced in a statement on Tuesday that pay cuts have been made, while nothing has yet been confirmed to suggest that the players will take similar cuts moving forward.

That has sparked a major backlash as pundits and fans alike have questioned how players can continue to take home a full salary, while those who are more vulnerable financially and for whom the scheme was essentially set up to protect have been left with a 20% wage cut.

Former Tottenham and Premier League striker Darren Bent has been discussing the situation on talkSPORT, as seen in the video below, and he has insisted that through his own previous experiences within clubs, he wouldn’t be able to morally take home his full salary knowing that club staff members could be struggling.

Some users were quick to point out in the comments that he has in fact changed in tune over the past week on the matter, but we’d like to think he’s seen the light as opposed to bowing to popular opinion and has made a fantastic point in the clip below.

Time will tell how the situation is resolved, but there is something wrong if players who are on multi-million pound a year contracts continue to be paid in full, while non-playing staff are forced to take less money home during the crisis.