I WAS truly baffled by health secretary Matt Hancock's comments calling for Premier League players to pay more to fund NHS care.

It seems to me the government is using them as a diversion, a lightening rod to avoid scrutiny.

It makes sense, if people are frothing themselves into a rage over footballers' wages, they won't be discussing owners of big businesses who live as tax exiles.

I would argue it is more important for the government to put the squeeze on these people, rather than footballers.

Now I am not saying footballers do not earn ludicrous money, they do. You or I couldn't spend £100,000 a week if we tried, but why should they be any more inclined to give up their earnings than anyone else.

The reason these young men earn the absurd money they do is because of the size and scale of football's commercial side.

The advertising, media rights, sponsorship and agents are what makes football the multi-billion pound industry it is, the players are simply earning a proportionate slice of the massive wealth of football.

Put simply, it is too easy and not helpful to say "footballers should give up their money for the NHS"

As soon as Mr Hancock singled them out, stories began to emerge about footballers doing just that.

Liverpool's Andy Robertson was revealed to have donated large sums of money to foodbanks in Glasgow, as was Danny Rose, who donated £19,000 to a London hospital.

There are countless more examples. Marcus Rashford for instance helped raise £150,000 to help feed children.

This is a far cry from the stereotypical tabloid view of greedy footballers looking out for themselves.

It was no surprise to me that Premier League players announced this week they had joined forces to help raise millions for the NHS directly, rather than taking a pay cut.

If the players take a pay cut, it won't be the NHS to benefit, it will be the owners and chairmen. It is better for the players and clubs themselves to organise their own donations.

That is not to say clubs haven't always done the honourable thing, with the examples of Mike Ashley and Daniel Levy, as well as Liverpool's backtracking on furloughing staff.

Footballers earn a phenomenal amount, and it is too much, but they are not the problem.