Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson hailed as 'true leader' as ex-Sunderland midfielder leads #PlayersTogether NHS funding drive

Former Sunderland midfielder Henderson has led from the front and been in touch with captains from every top flight club in a bid to get the scheme off the ground as the country battles the coronavirus outbreak.

Writing in the Guardian, Burnley skipper Ben Mee hailed the influence of Sunderland-born Jordan Henderson and his role in bringing footballers together to help raise vital funds for NHS charities.

Mee wrote: “As footballers we are privileged to do what we do in this country, and we never forget that. The money we earn is well-documented, but the majority of professionals are from working-class backgrounds and, whatever successes we enjoy, we are still anchored by the social conscience formed by our surroundings.

“We are using the means we are lucky to have to help those who really need it, the people who are fighting this terrible virus on the frontline of the NHS.

“Jordan Henderson might be the captain of the European champions but he is also a working-class lad from Sunderland who deserves full credit for bringing us all together, showing what makes a true leader. As a group we just wanted to do something positive, and we feel we have taken a step towards achieving it.

“From the moment Jordan called me, the Premier League captains have worked tirelessly to ensure we could get #PlayersTogether in place in such a short time. There has been great collective urgency to help in any way possible, while at the same time ensuring our funds are directed to the places that are most needed.

“Naturally such a complex matter needs time to sort, but our frank discussions always had the same purpose: to help in any way we can.

“The aim is to raise as much as possible and to get the money, as soon as humanly possible, to NHS charities.”