11 days on from the announcement English football would be postponed due to the current pandemic, Coady has remained in self-isolation with his family, and is taking the situation seriously, like the rest of his teammates. The captain has continued to provide a bridge of communication between the club and squad and provided an insight into the life of a footballer, once the football stops.
On keeping together as a nation
“It’s something that shows what this country is about. It’s important we make sure we’re staying safe as a whole. It’s important we pull together in the same direction now. A lot of people are staying at home, I certainly am, trying to do it right and properly.”
On keeping busy at home
“I’m watching Sky and trying to keep up watching old games, but it’s hard without the football because that’s all we’re used to – it’s on every day of the week, so it’s though, but my kids and missus are keeping me going. I’ve been out in the garden with the kids, which is nice.
“I’ve got three boys and they’re absolutely keeping me on my toes from morning to night, so it’s tough to get time. It’s alright if they’re out in the garden, but the last few days they’ve been in and it’s tough to keep them going, they’re starting to climb the walls a little bit, to be honest.”
On being the last team to play
“The good thing is, the people at our club at the top end are very clear in terms of what they want to do. We were one of last teams to play before the suspension. We had the game against Oympiacos behind closed doors, and I’ll be totally honest, it was tough.
“To play football without fans isn’t right. It’s hard to play in front of, not necessarily motivate yourself, but you get an energy from the crowd which you don’t get from anywhere else. It was tough for us.”
On captaining in the current circumstances
“In terms of being a captain, I’ll never change what I do. I’m always there to speak to the lads, if they need to ask me a question, they know where to come, they can ask me whatever they want.
“I’ll also be a bridge if the manager or people at the higher end of the club want to get things to the boys, they know they can come through me as well. It’s important to be open, make sure you’re in the middle of things and be ready to pass on messages.”