Republic of Ireland international Conor Hourihane says the resumption of the Premier League tomorrow evening will represent a return to normality in his life.
The 29-year-old Aston Villa midfielder has been touched by COVID-19 during the pandemic with two members of his partner's family passing away after contracting the virus while Villa boss Dean Smith also lost his father to the coronavirus.
"On my partner's side we've unfortunately had a couple of people pass away from coronavirus," Cork man Hourihane told this morning's OTB AM. "The first few months were amazing family wise, spending a lot of time with my partner and my daughter, where I usually wouldn't have had as much time to spend with them.
"We then had a bad month or six weeks with the virus but just trying to get on with it as best we can and yeah heading back into that bit of normality now is nice and maybe we have seen the worst of it.
"The virus affected our family a little bit, we were in our own little bubble thinking "all life was fine" and then you get affected by it and all of a sudden you go, "wow, this out there and this is real and it's happening". We're trying to get on with things as best we can and I'm back in training and really hoping now that the worst of it is over really.
"First and foremost I'm a football player and I really really miss playing football. I'm really looking forward to getting back into it and back to games, hopefully we'll get a few good results and that feel good factor will come back to us. You miss that feeling, that match-day feeling."
Villa have resumed training on a phased basis ahead of their clash with Sheffield United on Wednesday evening. Victory for Dean Smith's side against the high-flying Blades would see them move out of the relegation zone and Hourihane admits it's felt like they've been preparing for a new campaign:
"We've had a little bit of a mini pre-season, shorter than usual this time 'round, but yeah it feels like last season or the three-quarters of a season that's been feels like a long time ago. So yeah it feels like a new season, a new start, and hopefully that works in our favour.
"There's lots of different rules now, we can't have showers at the training ground, can't go into the canteen, only three lads are allowed into the gym or the physio area at the one time. We're not going into the changing rooms are instead going into a larger indoor area where you can keep two metres apart while changing and so on.
"You arrive to the training ground in your kit, you wouldn't do that usually, and you get pretty much straight into your car afterwards unless you're getting treatment. You do get food and can have it there but it's brought down to you and then you head off again. It's very very different but getting used to it now, we're back at it three weeks and it's becoming the norm now but I think deep down all the lads are looking forward to getting back to the "real normal", whenever that may be."
Training has stepped up to contact being permitted in the last two weeks and the Ireland midfielder says some of the players were a bit apprehensive at first:
"At the start of getting back into full contact a lot of people were a little bit tentative, a little bit standoffish, which is natural, we can't forget that there's a virus out there but as the weeks have gone on the lads have become more comfortable with that.
"The test results have helped in restoring that normality as well, we've had no positive test results at Villa, all that plays into the mindset heading into training knowing that all is okay in this building.
"My partner is pregnant now as well, I've that added factor in my head, we had the unfortunate incident in our family too, so it's been up and down periods. I thought two months ago when it was at that peak stage I really didn't think we'd get back playing but I think since it's been handled as best as it can be.
"Some players have their concerns, footballers are human beings and have their own situations outside of football, everyone does. We've got a couple of lads with health issues or are living with someone with health issues and given it can be a matter of life and death, it's not easy.
"I can 100 per cent understand everyone's concerns but we've had no positive results at Aston Villa since we've started testing and the only way the season is going to get finished is by playing so we're looking forward to getting going now it's so close.
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