Covid hit me hard... but watching Loose Women was harder!
BAGGIES STAR ROBINSON’S VIRUS VICTORY
CALLUM ROBINSON bounced back after two sickeners in the Premier League – so Covid had no chance of stopping him.
The West Brom striker, 25, gambled by quitting Aston Villa and dropping into the Championship with Preston to kick-start his career – only for a record £7million move to Sheffield United to turn sour last term.
A loan to the Hawthorns was made permanent during the close season – but the coronavirus pandemic forced the Republic of Ireland international to dig deep again when he tested positive two months ago.
Robinson said: “The virus can hit you, I tell you. For the first three or four days it was hot sweats, then I was cold, weak, trying to catch my breath, a headache... I couldn’t concentrate on anything.
“I never got the feeling I was really struggling. A few other people I’ve spoken to did say that – but my chest was good and I wasn’t losing my breath as badly as other people. I got away with it.
“But it was a bad few days...I was ill, weak. I lost my taste and smell.
“The club were sending out my protein and tablets but I was living off Tesco deliveries – those microwave dinners, you know?
“I was playing a fair bit of FIFA, watching television – Loose Women, never again – the things you never thought you’d do during lockdown, eh?
“I also had to make sure my partner wasn’t around because she’s pregnant at the moment.
“She stayed with her parents while I went away with Ireland – and came back with Covid. ovid.
“I thought it was tough, gh, mentally. You’re ill and d then you just have to sit there and ride the thing out.
“But I do realise that
I’m lucky. I was still ll being paid for starters.
“Imagine getting a positive test, just sitting there and there’s no money coming in – I bet your stress levels would be going through the roof.
“Or if you’ve got two or three
Ivanovic, Johnstone, Ajayi,
Gallagher, Bartley, Furlong,
Pereira, Sawyers, Gibbs,
Robinson, Grant
Kouyate, Cahill, Guaita, Clyne,
Van Aanholt, Townsend,
Eze, Riedewald, McArthur,
Ayew, Zaha kids and you again test positive and you’re having to self-isolate and get the kids to school. I can’t really put it into words.
“I was self-isolating – it was about 20 days, I had to do that.
“So, I understand a bit of what people are going through.” Robinson couldn’t quite make the breakthrough at Villa, where he had been a trainee.
He said: “I had a sniff of the Premier League under Paul Lambert ( left) and I’d been training with the first team for seven months. “Preston popped up and I went on loan – it was nice to play with men and be among it.
“When you do something well, it gets in the newspapers. When you are in the Under-23s, you can do really well and no-one knows.
“When I signed there, I wanted to get back into the Premier League – that was my aim.
“I said to my old man, ‘I’m going to graft my way back.’ I did. I had three good seasons at Preston.
“Alex Neil the Preston manager came in at the right time to improve my game even more.
“Sheffield United was strange because I started the first eight games of the season. I went away with Ireland, had a bit of a knock and I couldn’t get back in.
“I was still coming off the bench but I wanted game time. There’s no hard feelings. That’s what football is about.
“It’s been stop-start for me so far this season. But now I feel great – I’m ready to kick-on again.”