‘I’m petrified’ – West Ham first teamer makes frank admission amid Coronavirus fears
West Ham full-back Aaron Cresswell has admitted that he is “petrified” by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.
All football in the UK has been suspended in an effort to slow the spread of the illness, will no clear indication on when or if the current campaign will be completed.
But the 30-year-old has suggested that he is in no hurry to restart action, and is much more concerned with the safety of his family and his peers.
Speaking to the Hammer’s official website, he said: “At the start, I don’t think anyone realised how serious it was.
“Once we played the Arsenal game, football came to a stop after [Gunners manager] Mikel Arteta was tested, and it came back positive. Their squad went into isolation and then that was pretty much it. There was no other option. Football had to be suspended.
“Here we are four weeks later, football has been suspended again until 30 April, but the most important thing is everyone’s health and wellbeing. Football can wait. Simple as that.
“I’ve got a baby daughter and she is five weeks’ old and, I’ll be honest, I’m petrified.”
What can we take from Cresswell’s comments?
A lot, actually.
So much of the conjecture surrounding how and when the season should be brought to a conclusion has been based around money and silverware, but here we have a much more candid, personal reflection of what this crisis means to the lads who actually have to go out and play the game.
In Cresswell’s case, he has a new born at home to think about – what could possibly be more important than her health and safety?
Obviously, the preferred scenario for everybody would be to finish the campaign, but it is far more important to remember that at the end of the day, these players are human, and must not be put in danger.
In other West Ham news, Hammers identify ‘clear priority’ in summer transfer window.