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LONDON - England's players have agreed to donate their international wages to charity, according to a report in Saturday's Daily Mail.
A new Team England Footballers' Charity has pledged a minimum of one million pounds ($2.67 million) over the next four years to good causes, the newspaper said.
"I am not going to say we are saving the world or that we should have haloes fitted but as a group the England players wanted to make a difference," David Beckham's manager Terry Byrne told the Mail.
"Some people will look at this and say, 'what's 50,000 pounds to someone who can earn that in a week?'. But the players didn't have to do this, they chose to. They wanted to do some good."
Brian Barwick, chief executive of the Football Association, the England team's paymasters, backed the move by the players.
"I am obviously very pleased the whole squad has taken this initiative," said Barwick. "It puts an extra kick into them appearing for their country."
Among the charities set to benefit is the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research, named after the late captain of the 1966 England World Cup-winning team.
Moore's widow Stephanie also welcomed the initiative taken by England's players.
"I am overjoyed the squad have chosen to support the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research and know Bobby would have been delighted," she said.
Bobby Moore died of bowel cancer in 1993.
- REUTERS
