Footie stars' £750k for nurses

A NURSES’ hardship fund has raised £750,000 — after some of the Premiership’s best-paid stars pitched in with a day’s pay.

Arsenal captain Thierry Henry, Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and Man United winger Ryan Giggs are among players who contributed.

Top footballers can earn over £100,000 a week — compared to an average nurse’s salary of £21,000.

But six months ago fundraiser Dr Noreena Hertz knew no one in the world of football.

Now she has recruited 239 players to the May Day For Nurses campaign. She came up with the idea after helping organise Live8.

Noreena, 38, said: “Every single Premiership club is now on board and almost half of the players are giving up their pay today.”

The cash raised will go into a Royal College of Nursing fund for nurses who need money for things such as childcare or transport to work.

Managers including Terry Venables, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sam Allardyce and Martin O’Neill and former players such as Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Le Saux also took part.

And over 29,000 fans agreed to give up a day’s wages.

The entire squad at Watford gave up a day’s money — and nurses led out the team yesterday.

All the players for Fulham and West Ham’s first teams also paid up.

Reading had 27 contributors, Sheffield United 23, Blackburn 23, Bolton 22 and Spurs 20.

Worst were Chelsea — with no players donating, although the club did.

Middlesbrough also failed to cough up but boss Gareth Southgate did get out his chequebook.

Noreena’s next target is PM-in-waiting Gordon Brown