Draining the battery
I’ve had to put my career on hold as coronavirus shut down US league after just one game for my new club SAYS ROBBIE CRAWFORD
I was looking forward to kicking on after one game but there are more important things in life than sports CRAWFORD
ROBBIE CRAWFORD saw his visa application rushed through by Uncle Sam only to end up trapped in the USA.
But the former Rangers midfielder insists there is no place he would rather be as he bids to make South Carolina his new home from home.
Crawford, 27, signed a two-year deal earlier this month with Charleston Battery in the USL, the division below the MLS.
His hopes of hitting the ground running have been thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic, which has restricted him to just one game for his new club.
It was a transatlantic dash of planes, trains and automobiles proportions to make his debut against Atlanta United 2 in Georgia on March 8.
Battery won 1-0 but in the grand scheme it counted for little as the Covid-19 crisis deepened and US president Donald Trump took the decision to suspend all flights into Europe.
Still, there are worse places to wait it out than Daniel Island, 10 miles north of Charleston, where he shares a state of the art apartment with his girlfriend.
Several Scottish clubs, including his old Ibrox side, have allowed their foreign stars to return home with an exercise plan until life eventually returns to normal.
Crawford said: “I can see the thinking behind it but I’m just going to wait it out. I’m worried about flying somewhere, ending up stuck, and not being able to get back to the club in time.
“There’s also a ban on travelling to the UK and Europe from the States, so even if I wanted I’d be struggling to get back. Besides, it’s probably no bad thing to be avoiding airports at the moment.
“It’s been a busy and eventful few weeks as I joined for a trial spell at the end of January and when it went well, I was invited to the training camp in Miami.
“I agreed a one-year deal with a one-year option, but I had to return to the US Embassy in London to organise my visa on March 3, five days before the game in Atlanta.
“They suggested it would take a week to process but it had been issued by the Friday and we
quickly arranged flights to Atlanta through New York on the Saturday.
“Unfortunately, I woke to find my flight was cancelled, but they re-scheduled me later on the day through Boston, which meant a few hours of kip there before I flew down to Atlanta to join my new team-mates.
“I arrived at the hotel five hours before kick-off but it was worth it when we won the league opener 1-0 and I managed to make an appearance from the bench.”
Crawford’s apartment comes fitted with a multi-gym, which he uses every morning, and his 27th birthday earlier this week was spent going for a run in a local park before he headed for a walk at the nearby beach.
He said: “We returned from Atlanta and trained as normal but they’ve announced a suspension to the league, initially for 30 days, and no-one is shocked. The club reacted quickly and smartly by asking us to train at home and although it’s difficult to work out without a game to prepare for, taking care of my body has never been a problem in the past.
“It’s difficult not to spend all day on the couch but you’ve got to stay disciplined and I’d only go crazy if all I did was watch TV.
“I try to keep active and I’ve also been doing a bit of reading, non-fiction mostly, biographies of Kobe Bryant and Tom Brady.
“I was looking forward to kicking on after one game, but there are more important things in life than sports. It’s more vital that people stay healthy.
“For the most part over here, everyone is trying to stay calm. There’s a few more empty shelves in the supermarket but it’s not panic stations yet. Restaurants and bars are struggling and colleges and schools are closed. Things are slowing down.”
Crawford is the only European on the Battery roster and his move to the States is the latest in a line of adventures that have taken him from Ibrox and East Kilbride to Icelandic and Finnish football.
He played 45 times in total for his boyhood favourites under Ally McCoist in the wilderness years between 2012-2016, but found opportunities more scarce under Mark Warburton.
He had spells on loan at Morton and Alloa, played for Raith and in the Lowland league with the Kilby, before trying his luck abroad with FH in Iceland.
He said: “I was lucky enough to play for Rangers and after that ended I considered it important to develop myself as a player and a person.
“Everyone is different but I’ve enjoyed my career and would urge anyone to travel if they are offered the chance. Let’s face it, if you don’t like it you can always return home.
“I’d say, ‘The opportunities are out there, don’t let others dictate your life and career for you’.
“The more I’ve travelled the more I’ve thought about coaching and that’s something I’d also like to explore as I’ve learned a lot under some great coaches.
“But my priority for now is to focus on a good season with Battery, when it eventually gets up and running again.”