Footballers are so lucky

STEVE BRUCE, below, admits the daily life of a footballer during Lockdown is kicking a ball around and “socialising.”

Our heroes are meeting up in big groups, mates together, every day to play sport and exercise.

They grab a lunchtime snack, chat out on the pitches, and, bar some league protocols, are largely unhindered by the suffering of fans whose lives have been shut down.

I’m not sure footballers, and managers, have grasped quite how lucky they are right now. We are certainly not hearing them say it enough.

Instead we still hear managers moaning about packed fixture lists, games being called off, then rearranged at short notice, and warn of the physical strain on players packing in a season before May. Football’s grumblers should shut up. We are lucky football is going, giving us something to watch and a weekly structure.

They are lucky it continues given the poor message being sent when goals are scored. Chris Wilder excused his players their slobbering, sweaty, cheek-to-cheek, hugs all-round celebration when they beat Bruce’s Newcastle last week. It’s an emotional game, he said. Same from Pep Guardiola when Phil Foden netted his winner against Brighton.

Sure it is. Which would make the impact of a respectful, headlinegrabbing, socially-distanced celebration, all the more powerful in sending a coronavirus health message to the public.

The privileges of playing, comes with a responsibility.

The alternative is to shut the league down and refund the TV rights holders.

To stop clubs going bankrupt, £4million-a-year stars could be put on £2,000-a-month furlough pay.

Maybe then they’ll realise how lucky they are.