Seasons2019-20Everton News

Keane discusses overcoming virus and preparations for restarting the season

Michael Keane has revealed that he contracted COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic but he has fully recovered and, thanks to the club's lockdown fitness regimen and recent resumption of training at Finch Farm, is nearing readiness to resume playing.

The defender will be one of only two fit senior centre-halves when, as expected, Everton restart their 2019-20 campaign against Liverpool on 21st June after Yerry Mina tore a thigh muscle at Finch Farm last week. He says he is “itching” to get back to playing but his attempts to keep fit a couple of months ago were hit by the coronavirus.

“Three months without football has felt like an eternity,” Keane told The Mirror. “It's been such a strange time as I had the virus myself early on. I got [it] after we'd finished training but before the country went into lockdown. I went to play golf at Wentworth, felt ill driving home but my pals didn't get it so I don't really understand where I got it.

“I was in the shower and all of a sudden I felt like I was going to faint. It wasn't something that I'd had before. I came out of the shower, I was soaking wet just lay on the bed and I just needed to lie down.

“I didn't think too much of it, I was okay but then I woke up the next day and I felt really off. I didn't have a cough but felt lethargic, low on energy and then went to bed that night and had the sweats for two nights.

“I went out for a run, was going out for 20 minutes but had to stop after three and a half minutes because my chest wasn't right, I was really heavily breathing and I had to stop and walk home.

“I knew at that point something was wrong. I told the physios and they sent me a test, it arrived six days later by which time I felt better but it still came up positive.

“Even when I felt better, it probably took two weeks for my chest to feel back to normal when I was running.”

Keane explained how he turned his garage into a fitness centre and thanks to the support of the club's training staff, he was able to get back in shape after he had overcome the virus.

“The club have been great, really supportive.” he continued. “They sent cleaners out to all the lads' houses, sanitised all the houses. They have a sanitising gun and it sprays mist, they sprayed the whole house, my car and all the players had that.

“They also gave us the option to take a [wage] deferral. I think everyone appreciates that clubs are going through a difficult time through this and the club left it up to us on deferrals, you could choose what percentage and I think some of the lads have deferred a lot.”

Everton's players have been back at Finch Farm under evolving training protocols for three weeks now while the Premier League and its member clubs have moved through the stages of ‘Project Restart' which should culminate in top-flight action resuming on 17 June.

“I've been really impressed with the way it's been handled and the protocols make you feel safe,” Keane said before turning to the topic of the Toffees' getting back underway without fans in the stadium.

“It will be strange not having fans but it will be the same for everyone. Once you're actually playing, you don't focus on the fans, you focus on the pitch and, as a centre half, you're scanning the pitch and shouting at the midfielders to get into position.

“Even with no fans there, just being in your own surroundings of course it would be better to be at Goodison.

“But if we have to play at a neutral venue, although you don't have the same comforts of Goodison and the little things like having the same seat in the dressing room, it won't affect us too much.”

 

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