Players must make final decision, says Clayton
MIDDLESBROUGH midfielder Adam Clayton has stressed that players should be given the right to decide whether they feel comfortable to play football – if the game is given the go-ahead to return in 2019-20.
The former Leeds United and Huddersfield Town player has seen his family be affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with his father Steve spending 51 days in intensive care with Covid-19.
He successfully won his fight with the deadly virus at North Manchester General Hospital, with a video of him leaving intensive care and being given a guard of honour shown across social media.
Clayton posted the clip on his Twitter account.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about footballers returning to action, Clayton said: “Ultimately I think it will end up with the players making the decision whether they feel right to do it or not.
“It’s a real tough one. There’s nobody who wants to be out on the pitch more than me – I’ve missed it like you wouldn’t believe.
“It’s what we have done since we were kids.
“I don’t think the fear in football is the players contracting it ourselves, although it could still have damaging effects.
“It’s more if I go to work and bring it back to my baby daughter or my dad, that’s the worry I’d have.”
At one point, Clayton’s father, who had underlying health problems, had been told that he had a less than 50 per cent chance of surviving.
Clayton continued: “There were days where you thought you were going to get the worst news.
“Somehow he managed to stick in there and the doctors and nurses never gave up on him.
“I could not go round and give my mum a cuddle and she has only got my younger brother in the house so she has just been alone thinking about it all day, every day.
“I have got a newborn so that has made it better for me because I have constantly had to attend to her but it’s been murder for my mum.
“It is not a nice situation because you can’t speak to them and you’re just getting updates off the medical team and they can’t bring you good news if it’s not good news.
“It is really tough for the person whose loved one is in there.”