With the coronavirus pandemic causing a prolonged hiatus for football, Liverpool announced its intention to furlough non-playing staff on Sunday (AEDT).

Members of the workforce that are affected can claim 80 per cent of their wages – up to £2500 ($5100) a month – from the United Kingdom government, with Liverpool topping up any shortfall in that pay.

Liverpool became the fifth Premier League club to announce the measures, with all of them attracting criticism as detractors feel profit-making businesses owned by wealthy individuals or groups should not be receiving assistance from the British taxpayer to cover wage costs.

Hamann's former Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher slammed the club, claiming the move will have lost it "respect and goodwill", and the German joined him in hitting out.

"Astonished by the news that @LFC takes advantage of the furlough scheme to claim 80 per cent of non-playing staff wages back off the government," he wrote on his official Twitter account.

"That's not what the scheme was designed for. Contrary to the morals and values of the club I got to know."

Liverpool had previously received praise for Jurgen Klopp's displays of compassion at the start of the pandemic, while Jordan Henderson is reportedly spearheading an attempt from Premier League players to raise funds for the National Health Service.

But this latest news has attracted widespread scorn, with it coming less than six weeks after the club announced pre-tax profits of £42 million ($85.5 million) for the year ending May 2019.