Macclesfield Town player strike only remaining option, says ex-goalkeeper

Rhys Taylor made more than 120 appearances in his two spells at Macclesfield

Macclesfield Town's players have been left with no choice but to go on strike after consistently not being paid, says ex-Silkmen goalkeeper Rhys Taylor.

The 29-year-old says he went unpaid for three months one summer and the club refused to pay for his hip surgery.

Macclesfield's League Two game against Crewe on Saturday has been suspended by the English Football League.

"This needed to be done," said Taylor. "It's what it's going to take to get the ball rolling and the club sold."

Before the match with Crewe was suspended, Macclesfield players said during a meeting with representatives from the EFL and Professional Footballers' Association on Friday they would not play in protest over unpaid wages.

They added their emotional and mental wellbeing was at "rock bottom".

• Macclesfield v Crewe suspended by EFL

• Macclesfield supporters fear club's 'extinction'

Macclesfield have been deemed guilty of misconduct by the EFL for being unable to fulfil the fixture, with "potential future regulatory action" to be taken.

Local businessman Joe Sealey is understood to have made an offer to buy the club from long-term owner and majority shareholder Amar Alkadhi, but talks stalled last month.

Former Wales Under-21 international Taylor left Macclesfield in July after his second spell with the club. He said the PFA had to intervene and initially pay for a hip resurfacing operation at the end of last season.

"After seeing specialists and surgeons, who said I needed it to avoid issues later in life, the club basically said they would not pay for it," he said.

"They had taken out their lowest insurance and used all their money. Even though it was in players' contracts to honour treatment like operations, they said they wouldn't pay.

"That's one example of what the situation at the club has come to - players and staff are not looked after.

"That's what the club needs, someone to take it over and look after people, take it forward. Anyone who owns any sort of business needs to look after their employees.

"Hopefully now with what the players have decided to do, people realise what needs to be done and stop making it so difficult for someone to come in and take over.

"It will make such a difference in the community when someone does."