Blackpool FA Cup hero Chris Maxwell says: Having Covid was awful and we have to take it seriously

Maxwell, along with teammate Matty Virtue, had to self-isolate for 10 days over the festive period and this was his first match since testing positive on December 23.

The 30-year-old said: “I had it over Christmas and it was awful. Not only was I feeling terrible for about eight days, but also missing out on games and training was tough.

“But it’s been nice to be back in for the past week and to contribute like I did on Saturday was great.”

While Maxwell didn’t require hospitalisation, he was bed-bound for three days. The Welshman added: “I felt really lethargic, so it hit me hard. It was nice to come through it and get back into the fold.

“I don’t know how I caught it. We’re very strict at our club in terms of the protocol we have to follow.

“We very rarely congregate before or after training, so I’m not sure it’s from there. I think it was just coincidental that me and Matty caught it at a similar time.

“You can catch it any way. You can catch it in the supermarket, you can catch it from home, you can get it anywhere.

“Something very serious is going on at the moment and I have seen it and how it affected my family.

“My wife had symptoms as well. She was ill.

“My mum and dad are both self-isolating anyway because they’ve got my 86-year-old nan with them, so I’ve not seen them since March. It’s a necessity, though. It’s something we have to deal with.

“It wasn’t serious enough that I had to go to hospital.

I’m young and fit, and a healthy athlete, but if it was an elderly person or someone like my mum and dad, who are in their 60s, then I think it would have been quite serious.

“It’s something we’ve all got to pay attention to and take seriously. It’s not good but thankfully I’ve come through it and we move on.

“The downside is that on a day like today, an occasion like this, we really, really missed the fans here because I think Bloomfield Road would have been bouncing.

“It’s such a shame but it’s a necessity unfortunately at the moment, but hopefully it will change soon.”

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