Alston opens up on contract fears
HAMILTON Accies midfielder Blair Alston has played 333 career games but his deal at New Douglas Park expires at the end of the month.
At 28 he is in his prime and he had written about his fears as an out-of-contract player during the coronavirus crisis.
The former Falkirk midfielder insisted the myth about Premiership football players being rich and living a lavish lifestyle is unfounded for the vast majority of players in Scotland and that the coronavirus crisis will hit them hard like anyone else in the country.
While he had planned to xtend his stay at Accies, he insits the pandemic has thrown his situation into complete uncertainty.
Alston told PA: “As an out-ofcontract player, it’s impossible not to have that feeling in the pit of your stomach.
“The first thought about footballers is, ‘Oh, you’re rich’ because that’s what fans see in the English Premier League with the wages and transfer fees. With pretty much every other player, it’s just not the case. No-one is sitting on a goldmine waiting for this to blow over. It’s almost a different game and for most players out-of-contract in Scotland it is a concern where the next pay cheque comes from after this month.
“I got married last year and we’re fortunate Nicole works for the Royal Bank of Scotland and they will be paid until September but soon we’ll lose a big chunk of our income.
“I’m furloughed, although the club is topping us up, and then out of work at the end of May. A while back Hamilton told me the plan was to extend my contract for next season but coronavirus changed all of that.
“Players in Scotland, once the contract is over, that’s it, you’re on your own.
“You never know how it’s going to develop but at the moment it’s one more pay cheque and then having to go and find something else to do for the next few months.”