Here’s what footballers are doing during the coronavirus shutdown
- Published
Shaved heads, tea challenges, pranks, dog days and Milner's dad jokes
With the footballing world put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over the globe are dealing with the new reality of social distancing and self-isolation.
Footballers are not immune to either the virus or the difficulties of quarantine and so, like the rest of us, they have been forced to find ways to occupy themselves during this unexpected break.
Here’s a taste of what they’ve been up to.
1) The bald truth
Let’s be honest, you’ve thought about doing something weird to your hair at least once over the last few days, right?
Maybe you’ve decided to grow it out, maybe you want to dye it a weird colour you’ve always been too scared to try. Now is the time for mistakes.
And there is no more dramatic - and simple - change you can make to your hair than to shave it.
If you’ve had to bald it all off over the last few days, we can assure you that you’re not alone. It’s a desire reaching people all over the world, with journalist Carl Anka pointing out the fact not even footballers can resist that particular siren’s call.
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2) The Milner Method
Meanwhile things have gotten very exciting for James Milner during his time off.
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In case you were worried Milner had used up all his best hobbies during those first few days, the Liverpool midfielder put our minds at ease with another update.
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Actually, scratch that. It seems that James Milner has officially run out of things to do.
3) Something special
Jose Mourinho showed his caring side as he helped to put together care packages for the eldery in Enfield with the help of charities Love Your DoorStep and Age UK.
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4) Quite the scene
Self-isolation presents a great opportunity to catch up on some of your favourite films, and if you’re eager enough you can even play along at home. Just ask Dele Alli.
5) Keep it up
You don’t have to go all out to keep your skills sharp though, as many players are showing by taking part in the #stayathome challenge, which encourages people to stay inside as much as possible in order to increase social distancing and help combat the spread of COVID-19.
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Of course, you’d expect any professional footballer to be able to handle a few keepy-uppies. Why not take it to the next level?
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6) To a tea
Sick of seeing footballers juggle toilet paper? May we introduce you to the latest trend: the footballers’ tea.
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Let's not talk about how long Harry Winks left that tea to brew, hey? We'll only get upset.
7) Work it out
We don’t know exactly when football will return but players know they must retain their fitness during this unexpected down time.
It can be hard to motivate yourself in such circumstances but Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has rather cleverly found a way to keep himself focused on the goal at hand.
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Meanwhile former Rangers man Bruno Alves is taking chest workouts to a whole new level. Just listen to the sound of that.
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8) Dog days
As anyone who is currently working from home knows, one of the advantages of doing so is you get to spend time with those who really matter: your dogs.
But as anyone who is currently working from home also knows, dogs don’t have the greatest appreciation for silly human concepts such as work. Just ask Chelsea defender Maria Thorisdottir.
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And we couldn’t mention dogs and footballers without giving a shout out to Alexis Sanchez and his best friends Atom and Humber.
The Chilean is spending some quality time with the pair, which apparently includes a romantic dinner for three.
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9) Shuffle the deck
It’s not all about the workouts, however, as some players are taking the opportunity to work on their movement for the dance floor as well as on the pitch.
Watford fans are still waiting to see what Joao Pedro can do on the field but the Brazilian was showing off his quick feet as part of the stair shuffle challenge.
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And Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joined in with his partner, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, to take the challenge.
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If you’re looking for a challenge that’s a little more...er...challenging then check out this effort from Jamie Vardy and his wife Rebekah.
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10) Champions’ mentality
Barcelona’s Champions League clash with Napoli may have been postponed but their recent emergency signing Martin Braithwaite is still trying to get into the mentality of his new club.
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Fortunately for the Dane, he’s not really missing out on too much since he would have been ineligible to play for Barcelona in the Champions League this season anyway after joining the Catalans after transfer deadline day.
11) When life gives you lemons...
If there are any babies in the house, please take the opportunity to remind them that the world can be a cruel and misleading place by pulling a prank on them.
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12) Stay informed
While it’s important to have fun and make room for laughs during the current crisis, it’s still vital we take the situation very seriously.
Social distancing helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 through our communities, eases strain on the healthcare system and protects the most vulnerable from contracting the potentially fatal illness.
Even if you’re young and fit, the effects of this strain of coronavirus can be devastating, as former Warrenpoint and Drogheda United player Lee Duffy explained from his own unfortunate experiences.
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Meanwhile, Ashley Young sent a series of tweets about the seriousness of the situation in northern Italy, where he has lived since completing a move to Inter Milan in January.
The former Manchester United captain warned people to stay indoors as much as possible and offered advice on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
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