BLACKBURN Rovers stars are putting their money where their mouths are in aid of East Lancashire nurses.

Not one of Rovers first-team squad failed to heed a plea by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to donate a day's pay to benefit hard-up nurses.

And midfielder David Bentley was particularly keen to help with the Mayday For Nurses campaign, which focused on the players' earnings from the last day of the 2006/07 campaign.

He was one of the first five Premiership players to put pen to paper for the cause - and even sent a letter of support to the nurses' national conference held at Harrogate.

Bentley, whose mum works at Bury Hospital, wrote: "I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you in solidarity with your cause."

Rovers midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen was also interviewed by Dr Noreena Hertz, a political economist who was one of the prime movers behind the campaign.

He was shocked and concerned at the status of nurses in the this country, compared to his native Norway.

One of Burnley FC's most famous fans, ex-Labour spin-king Alistair Campbell, was also praised for signing up to the crusade.

All donations will be forwarded to a RCN hardship fund.

More than £750,000 has come from 230 Premiership players.

More than 860 Rovers supporters have also joined the near 30,000 football fans who have pledged a slice of their pay packets.

Bentley said: "I feel strongly about supporting the Mayday for Nurses campaign.

"As a footballer you've got an influence over certain things and I felt this was a cause that I'd like to support and, perhaps, make a difference.

"Any small part that I can play may well help the bigger picture - I certainly hope so.

"My mum works for Bury Hospital and I've been into hospitals on a few occasions, so I've experienced the excellent work they do first-hand.

"The nurses deserve all the help they can get and I am delighted to put my name to the campaign - it was great to see my teammates get so strongly behind it as well."

Surprisingly not a single player from Chelsea gave to the cause - though a donation to the hardship fund was forthcoming from the club itself.

It is estimated that a quarter of nurses are forced to quit their studies because of financial problems, although there is an anticipated shortfall of 14,000 nurses by 2011.