Former Norwich City player-of-the-year Robert Snodgrass has hit back at health secretary Matt Hancock over the on going financial issues involving players and the coronavirus shutdown, after his profession launched a fighting fund for the NHS.

City’s current squad and their colleagues across the top flight have pledged to make funds available to NHS charities as part of a collective effort to support frontline workers.

That announcement on Wednesday night was welcomed by Hancock, who had been vocal in his criticism of Premier League footballers’ failure to take a pay cut as society tries to deal with the impact of the global pandemic.

Hancock’s latest intervention prompted Snodgrass to take to his social media account on Thursday lunchtime to tweet: ‘Thanks @MattHancock. It’s great to have your backing....... in future do your homework on what we do and who we are as people before coming for us. Over £1billion in tax and NI PAYMENTS doesn’t even earn RESPECT anymore. It’s not about us it’s about the real heroes...The NHS.’

Hancock, responding last week after a number of clubs including Norwich City had announced plans to furlough non-playing staff by using a government job retention scheme, urged footballers to ‘play their part’.

“Given the sacrifices many people are making, the first thing Premier League footballers can do is make a contribution,” he said at one of the daily government briefings at Downing Street.

Canaries’ captain Grant Hanley and the rest of the City squad had already agreed to pledge £200,000 to help individuals and charities impacted by coronavirus in Norfolk.

Now the latest move, under the banner #PlayersTogether, will see funds raised by players put at the disposal of the NHS working collectively with NHS Charities Together - which is the umbrella organisation for over 150 registered NHS charities.

“#PlayersTogether is about we, the players, collaborating together to create a voluntary initiative, separate to any other club and league conversations, that can help get much needed funds to those that need it right now. To try and help, along with so many others in the country, make a real difference.

“The contributions that this initiative will generate will help NHSCT quickly grant funds to the frontline to support in a number of ways, including to enhance the well being of NHS staff, volunteers and patients impacted by Covid-19 as well as helping them in their work supporting many other critical areas of need both now and in the longer term.”