Watford captain Troy Denny said he would put his family's health ahead of soccer and raised concerns about the Premier League's plans to resume the season that was interrupted by the Corona pandemic.
The 31-year-old was part of a Premier League leaders ’video meeting this week with the Professional Players’ Union and officials in the Premier League and government about safety measures for the season’s restart project in June.
These plans received a boost on Thursday when British Minister of Culture and Sports Oliver Duden said the government had "opened the door" to the return of football next month, but Denny said he was against a quick resumption of the season.
"I am not even talking about football at the moment ... I am talking about the health of my family. If I feel that I am not taking care of my family, I will not go back to playing. I will not put my family at any risk," Dini said on his Instagram account.
"What will they do? Will they withhold money from me? I was poor before so it does not bother me," he added.
"They talk about playing without fans until 2021. So if the presence of the fans in the stadiums is not safe enough, then why is it safe for the players?"
The new Corona virus has killed more than 33,000 people in the United Kingdom.