MY DAD’S A MIRACLE!
FEW footballers have ridden an emotional rollercoaster more during the Covid-19 crisis than Middlesbrough’s Adam Clayton.
The midfielder and his family have gone through hell, with his father Steve on the brink of death during a harrowing 51 days in intensive care having been struck down by coronavirus in March.
But this week, Clayton shed tears of joy watching doctors and nurses give his dad a guard of honour as he left North Manchester Infirmary’s ICU unit after winning his survival battle.
It has been a bittersweet period for the 31-year-old, who before lockdown was embroiled in a relegation dogfight at the Riverside.
Two months before sport ground to a halt, Clayton’s wife Mandi gave birth to daughter Bea, but joy was laced with despair when his father became ill.
And for the past seven weeks, the family have felt helpless. “Dad was in an induced coma 22 years ago and probably just as close to passing away back then,” said Clayton.
“He had underlying health conditions so there were days when we wondered if we would get the worst news.
“One day, his heart failed and the nurses managed to bring him around. Another day his kidney went, and another day his lungs.
“Every two days something was going wrong so I spoke to the doctor and said, ‘Look, tell me straight, do I need to get my mum ready for the worst?’.
“His response wasn’t brilliant – he was saying it is below 50-50 but in my head it was already lower than that.
“I thought it was 10 per cent. So when he said 50-50, it was kind of a relief weirdly.
“I know the sort of mentality my dad has so after that day I didn’t stop worrying but I thought he’d make it.”
It was an agonising time for
Clayton, and even worse for his mum.
“The silent side of this disease is I couldn’t go around and give her a cuddle,” he told BBC Five Live.
“She only has my younger brother in the house, while I’ve a new-born. For her, it’s been murder. It’s a really tough one day to day for the loved ones.”
But there was a joyous ending for them all with Clayton senior being wheeled out of hospital to return to his Manchester home.
The Boro star added: “We got an idea he was leaving about an hour before and they Facetimed Mum as it was happening. Then we got the videos in the next five or 10 minutes.
“After the long journey we have been on, just to see him, moving, talking and on the road to recovery, it brought a tear to the eye.
“I think we must have watched it about 50 times in the last four or five hours.”
With Championship clubs due to resume training soon, no footballer is better qualified to talk about Project Restart than Clayton.
He admits having mixed feelings with so many people still dying of Covid-19.
“It’s a tough one,” he added. “No one wants to be out on the pitch more than me. I’ve missed football unbelievably.
“But it’s what it can do to loved ones. I don’t think the fear in football is getting it ourselves but it could still have damaging effects. It’s more about if I go to work and bring it back to my daughter or my dad, that’s the worry I have.
“Ultimately it’s up to players to make the decision.”
‘One day his heart failed, then his kidneys went and another day it was his lungs. The doctor said it was below a 50-50 chance he would survive’
back on the road. We would worry that in nine months, trying to get the league back off the ground again would be very difficult.”
Quinn was asked if the FAI are effectively asking clubs – some of whom fear for their futures – to take a leap of faith.
He told LOI Weekly: “For clubs to get playing behind-closeddoors, it’s a huge risk for them, it’s an exposure in some cases to potentially having to trade recklessly.
“We can’t cancel the risk totally with the minimum pot we will guarantee (next week).
“We have to flatten out the curves and the hills as much as we can, on the basis that it’s the best thing if football carries on.
UEFA will look on us more favourably for doing it and the Government will too but we need a little bit of help everywhere.
“We’re confident that we’ll have something. But effectively we’re trying to replace the gate and then you have a medical bill (for testing players) on top.
“We might not be where the gate and medical is but would the clubs take a leap and go for it if that gap isn’t too bad?”
Quinn did not provide any financial details yesterday and most clubs remain sceptical about the revenue that live streaming, for instance, can provide.
But the deputy chief executive is urging clubs not to dismiss a return to play until they are fully briefed. “There’s no point saying