Grant Hanley has first hand knowledge of the role the NHS is playing in deal with the coronavirus pandemic with his mother and sister both working on the frontline.

Hanley and the rest of the Premier League captains, under the direction of Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, were the driving force behind the launch of the #PlayersTogether movement designed to divert millions of pounds to NHS Charities Together - the umbrella organisation for over 150 registered NHS charities.

The City centre back told ITV News he has a personal stake in ensuring the NHS get the support they need with mother Linda a sonographer and sister Kim a radiographer in his hometown of Dumfries.

“I can’t express how proud I am of them. It’s obviously very tough and it’s a situation that no one has been in before,” he said. “For family, first of all it’s worrying as well, your family comes first and you want your family to be safe and be well. It’s definitely something that’s close to my heart and definitely something I’m proud to be a part of.

“You’ve got to remember we’re not doing this because we want people to say ‘oh you’re good lads’ we’re doing this because it’s coming from the heart and it’s what we want to do.

“A lot of credit has got to go towards Jordan Henderson, he won’t mind me saying, he’s the driving force behind it and the lads got around each other and got speaking, which in this day and age is not too difficult to do.

“I’m just glad that I can play my part, bring my squad together, the lads I play with and work with in to being part of something that’s going to make a difference to the nation and to people’s lives.

“Footballers get criticised every single week and I think that’s part and parcel of being in this game and being in this industry, people have got opinions.

“For me especially it’s just about remaining professional, doing what you think it right and is going to make the biggest difference.”