Graham Potter says his experience of losing both of his parents in the last 12 months gives him an added empathy with everyone affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Asked about the devastating effect the virus has had on the country, the head coach said, “That’s what I find personally quite challenging. We speak about football at the same time as close to 20,000 people have died from the virus.
"In lots of cases people aren’t even to hold the hand of the person that’s passing away which is heart-breaking.
“I know from my own experiences that losing parents is hard. But to lose people to a virus when we could have done something about it is even harder.
“Where we want to speak about football and around when we can start playing football, the reality of it is that we are in this horrendous situation where lives have been cut short and people aren’t able to hold the hands of their loved ones as they pass away.
“That’s the thing that we have to remember when we’re considering what the way forward is.”
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Potter also said that testing the country’s healthcare and key workers must be the priority before football thinks of resuming.
“People are looking at what’s happening in other countries and thinking that it can just be transferred across to here. We’re in a situation far behind other countries when it comes to testing.
“I think the footballers that I know wouldn’t be comfortable if they’re getting tested and key workers and frontline people in the NHS aren’t getting adequate testing. That’s not the kind of people they are.
“Of course, if we get to the point where we can test the nation, then I’m sure footballers will be happy with that.
“But not until it’s the right thing to do for the overall health of the country.”