McCormack opens up on struggles of training alone and admits call to return was a 'relief'

Cobblers midfielder Alan McCormack can't wait to be back alongside his team-mates again after opening up on the struggles of training alone for the past 10 weeks.

With the League Two play-offs likely to go ahead next month, Cobblers will end their unusually long break from football when they head back to the PTS Academy Stadium for training on Monday, albeit in small, socially-distanced groups to start with.

Players and staff have also been at the ground today (Thursday) to be tested for coronavirus. Anyone who tests positive will have to self-isolate for seven days and can only return again when they return a negative result

After nearly three months of training on their own at home, it was a timely boost for the players when they were told of the plans to train again on a Zoom call earlier in the week.

“It’s a relief to be able to go back because it’s been a long 10 or so weeks,” said McCormack. “In the summer we usually get the standard six, seven weeks off and you have a date in your head for when you might be back.

“You give your body two, three weeks to rest up and then on June 1 you crack on and start to get ready again. The problem during this situation was that it was such a long time not knowing when we would be back.

“There was a question mark over whether or not we’d play again and whether we’d see each other and there’s also players out of contract - are they going to get a new contract? There were so many questions.

“We couldn’t give an answer to them so it’s been difficult and probably the hardest part has been training on our own every day not knowing if everything is going to be cancelled or if we’re going to come back quickly and play the final nine games.

“There’s always been an element of making sure we don’t rest up too much because we could be straight back into it at any time so the training has been quite physical and demanding for the nine weeks.

“We’ve occasionally had two or three days off to rest up but otherwise it’s been difficult to train on our own with no team-mates around.

“It’s not so much that they push you but if you’re running next to someone or you’re trying to tackle someone, there’s always something that gives you that little extra.

“It’s just that little bit more difficult on your own in the morning in a big open field but thankfully now it looks like we’ll be heading back in training next week, although we’ll have to be tested first.

“The excitement is building and the light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter now and that gives us all extra motivation and extra determination to go out and work even harder on the grass.”

Although now pleased to be heading back, McCormack admits there have been times when he’s struggled for motivation during lockdown.

“I can’t lie and say it’s been easy,” he added. “I like to do all my running early in the morning to get it done but there have been mornings where I’ve woken up and thought ‘do I really need to do it? Or should I rest up?’.

“You worry you haven’t done enough or you worry you’ve done too much and the fact we weren’t to know when we would be back has made it even tougher.

“Sometimes you’re on the grass and you look at what you’ve got to do for the day and you know it’ll be a tough day - that’s when question marks come in.

“But, for me, I’ve kind of got used to it now and you’ve got to do it as a professional because we get paid to keep fit and there was always the hope that we could get called back at any time.

“We knew if that happens, we have to be in good shape because the gaffer would not take lightly to anyone coming back out of shape.”

Keith Curle had said himself that he will be quick to put his players to the test, both mentally and physically, when he is finally able to see them face-to-face.

“To know that the gaffer would be on you should you not come back in a good state has definitely given us some extra motivation,” admitted McCormack. “But credit to the lads because we speak quite regularly and they’ve all really put the work in.

“Hopefully when we get back in, we can get straight into a lot more football a lot quicker and we’re in good shape to do that.”