‘I won’t forgive you if my family get infected through me’ – Rooney criticises UK govt over coronavirus response

Wayne Rooney, former captain of Manchester United, has accused the British government and football authorities of treating footballers as “guinea pigs” during the coronavirus outbreak.

The ex-Everton attacker also warned that he would “never forgive” them if his family fell ill as a result of COVID-19.

While footballing activities were brought to halt in other parts of Europe due to the coronavirus crisis, the Premier League, English Football League, Women’s Super League and men and women’s FA Cup competition were suspended on Friday.

The suspension came on the back of an emergency meeting initiated after Mikel Arteta, Arsenal coach, tested positive of the virus on Thursday.

In his column for The Times, the 34-year-old Derby County striker appeared infuriated that the country’s football authorities had to wait till Arteta got ill before the 2019-20 campaign was put on hold.

“Why did we wait until Friday? Why did it take Mikel Arteta to get ill for the game in England to do the right thing?,” Rooney asked.

“For players, staff and their families it has been a worrying week – one in which you felt a lack of leadership from the government and from the FA and Premier League.

“After the emergency meeting, at last the right decision was made – until then it almost felt like footballers in England were being treated like guinea pigs.

“I know how I feel. If any of my family get infected through me because I’ve had to play when it’s not safe, and they get seriously ill, I’d have to think hard about ever playing again. I would never forgive the authorities.

“The rest of sport – tennis, Formula One, rugby, golf, football in other countries – was closing down and we were being told to carry on. I think a lot of footballers were wondering, ‘Is it something to do with money being involved in this?'”

Rooney also called for the restructuring of the season’s calendar once football is back.

“We’re happy to play until September if the season extends to then, if that’s how it has to be. That’s our job,” he said.

Since its outbreak in China in December, the virus has killed about 5,000 persons, with at least 138,000 infected across more than 100 countries.