Wayne Rooney calling for approach that would keep Leeds United promotion bid on hold

Both the Premier League and EFL seasons remain suspended with Leeds United top of the Championship and Rooney's Derby County side sat 12th and five points off the play-offs.

The Premier League and EFL hope to play all remaining games in the summer months behind closed doors but Rooney says any plans to resume action are not in line with government guidelines despite the government themselves also insisting that sporting events for broadcast will be permitted from June 1.

Step two of the government's road map for a coronavirus exit plan permits cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed-doors for broadcast from June 1, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact but only if sufficient progress is made in limiting the spread of the virus between now and then.

In the meantime, the EFL have told their clubs not to return to training until May 25 at the earliest and time is running out with EFL chairman Rick Parry insisting the EFL season must be completed by July 31 when around 1,400 players will be out of contract.

Leeds and Derby both have nine games left each and the EFL believe it would take 56 days to complete all remaining games.

"I'm desperate to train and play again, but it feels like football in England is being pushed to return too soon," said Rooney in his column in the Sunday Times.

"Our government says people can return to work, but only with social distancing in the workplace and that does not work in football.

"So I don't get it: until the government gives the green light to have physical contact, we can't train or prepare properly.

"The concern is not so much for ourselves, like whether you might pick up an injury, but more about bringing coronavirus home and infecting those around us. People's lives are at risk."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty.

So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE: https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777