Brian Deane urges football to look after players who helped build Premier League

The man whose goal kickstarted the Premier League revolution 30 years ago wants the incredible wealth the competition has generated to better support those who helped bring it to life.

Brian Deane scored the very first Premier League goal, when his header put Sheffield United in front in the fifth minute of their match against Manchester United at Bramall Lane on August 15, 1992.

Even at the time, Deane recalls, the new league felt different. It gave players “nowhere to hide”, with coverage of the game stepped up dramatically thanks to a television deal worth a reported £304million.

It is testament to the league’s commercial success that in its current cycle through to 2025, it is expected to generate over £10billion in domestic and overseas broadcast revenue combined, and feels like an industry which is near enough recession-proof.

Deane says the league is a “fantastic business model”, and has no issue with the amount of money the league distributes to the wider game.

It is how that money is used which Deane feels must change.

“There are a lot of issues in football which football can tidy up for itself,” Deane told the PA news agency.

“Everything’s focused and driven on making money and winning. We forget who we are as people, what (football) actually means to the community.

“Those are the things that I really feel we lost within the kind of ‘holy grail’ situation that we’ve created.

“I’m talking about player welfare. The reason why it’s a football problem is that football has all the answers.

“If you’ve got ex-players who are suffering from dementia, they’re suffering from other ailments, football has the power and the resources to be able to keep all of those things in-house without having to go cap in hand.

“There is