Gary Neville tells players to look for career back-ups

Gary Neville believes footballers in the lower leagues would be wise to line up an alternative job in case the coronavirus pandemic impact on club finances leaves them out of work.

Players whose current contracts expire at the end of the June may find it very difficult to secure new deals with their existing clubs or other clubs.

Neville is acutely aware of the situation outside of England’s top divisions as a part owner of League Two side Salford, and thinks it would be sensible for players to plan for what lies ahead in the coming months.

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet with players and agents but it will do in two months’ time,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“It’s going to be very difficult to secure contracts with football clubs in the next 18 months because clubs are going to find it very difficult to pay.

“If I was a football player today I would be online learning, I’d be getting a degree or a BTEC. I would be doing something different and trying to get a dual skill.

“That’s not panicking. That’s just good planning. The jobs in football are going to be less, the money is going to be less, and thousands of players are going to need to do a job next year or something out of football.

“They have to plan for that now. The smart ones will get their heads around that now because the clubs want real action. They want to reset the game.”