Jack Butland fears footy pals in lower leagues could end up on the scrapheap amid coronavirus chaos

JACK BUTLAND fears lower league players face a football lottery as they anxiously wait to discover if they have a future in the game.

The Stoke and England ‘keeper warned many of his mates below the Premier League could end up on the scrapheap, as some clubs scrape by on a week-to-week existence.

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Butland made his name in the Premier League with Stoke but has also experienced life in the lower reaches with Cheltenham and the Championship with Birmingham City, Leeds, Derby and Barnsley.

The ‘keeper, who is also the Potters’ PFA rep warned: “I’ve been at many clubs and no two clubs are the same. They are run by different companies with different backgrounds.

“There will be clubs that are very much hand-to-mouth and relying on games for income.

“Taking those incomes away is going to have a direct affect and there’s clubs that are certainly going to struggle which is going to create a worry for players.

“It’s going to affect football players like it’s going to affect anyone. There’s worries from all perspectives, whether it’s financial or health.

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“Every day and every hour is bringing more and more questions and uncertainty. It’s a time that none of us have ever experienced before with the potential closure of seasons, the delaying of games and with the health and safety of friends and family.

“It’s a really uncertain and nervy time.

“The PFA is doing its best to provide support for everyone, with players coming to the end of contracts and wondering if they are going to be paid.

“People have mortgages to pay and it’s very much the same as it is for everyone else. It affects people’s jobs like everyone else.”