FOOTBALL NEEDS A 'MARCUS RASHFORD OF SUSTAINABILITY’ – BUT STARS ARE SCARED OF HYPOCRISY LABEL

Premier League stars are scared to speak about climate change because they fear being labelled as hypocrites.

That's according to Wycombe midfielder David Wheeler, the PFA's sustainability champion who is trying to unite those concerned about the impact of climate change on football. He has received positive responses to the workshops he has put on for players and clubs, but has also encountered a reluctance to take the next steps.

“I think we’ve got this persistent problem: players are still afraid to come out and voice their opinion because they are worried about being called a hypocrite,” Wheeler told Mirror Football. Stereotypes still exist around top-level players and the image of stars driving gas-guzzling cars and jumping on short-haul flights to matches could undermine the sustainability message.

Alongside Wheeler, who spoke at Glastonbury in 2023 at the Speakers Forum on how football has the power to tackle climate change, there are a number of notable examples of players who are passionate environmentalists.

Former Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerin is an investor in vegan club Forest Green Rovers, cycles to work and frequently uses his platform to speak about sustainability issues in the game. Eric Dier, Burnley's Josh Brownhill, Sheffield United’s Tom Davies and Brentford’s Ben Mee - who has even gone so far as to stop buying new clothes - are among the others who have spoken out.

But Wheeler says that, currently, it is female players who are leading the way. The PFA sent out invites to all its members for Wheeler’s workshops and the gender split was clear in the turnout.

“It’s interesting, it seems women are much more engaged on this issue,” he said. “I don’t know whether that’s because they’ve generally been into further education more, or whether they’ve been exposed to more people and are more rounded. I’m not sure, but it definitely seems to be a trend.”

Asked if that might be because female players don’t feel in the spotlight as much, he added: “I think that’s certainly a factor – the higher the profile, the more reluctance to come out.

"And that’s maybe why on some level it’s been easier for me, because I’m not a Premier League footballer, so the blowback is not going to be anywhere near the same.

“But from all the work that I’ve done, it’s been overwhelmingly positive so far. It’s tricky isn’t it. It’s very easy for me to ask Premier League footballers to come out and say stuff, but they can’t do it unless they understand the issue and are passionate about it. It wouldn’t seem sincere.

"It would only take a Marcus Rashford for climate change to make a real difference.”

HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the issue? Comment below.

The PFA’s top priority is standing up for the welfare of its members – and there is a clear crossover between one of the sport's hottest topics and climate change.

Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Raphael Varane are among those to speak out about fixture congestion and there is an environmental reason to cut down on matches.

Teams often justify their use to short-haul flights by suggesting they have little choice when there are games every three days. Liverpool came under fire after taking a 33-minute flight back from Newcastle last February, while an investigation revealed that in a two-month period between January and March 2023, Premier League clubs took a staggering 81 domestic flights. In stark contrast, Championship club Millwall have a no-fly policy and take a coach or train to all away matches.

Wheeler is campaigning to get environmental sustainability embedded in clubs as part of the incoming Football Governance Bill and believes the unhappiness about the schedule could provide a useful stepping stone for the movement.

“I’m not bothered how we get there towards making a positive change on climate, just that we do,” the League One player said.

“There does seem to be such a big overlap between protecting the welfare of players and the welfare of the planet. There’s so much to be gained for everyone to work towards being more sustainable.

“Any athlete coming out and speaking passionately about climate change is powerful, but if there’s a whole block of players and athletes doing it at the same time on the same issue then it’s very hard to ignore.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

2024-05-03T05:39:17Z dg43tfdfdgfd