Liam Craig is one of the many players across Scotland who faces a summer of uncertainty.
The St Johnstone midfielder, who is also the PFA Scotland chairman, knows for many players, the absence of football means employment for some players is going to be extremely difficult.
For the players that have been furloughed and are under contract beyond this summer, they will at least continue to get paid until the scheme ends. But for those who find their deals up and no clear idea of when it will be safe to resume playing, times will be challenging for many who find themselves out of work.
“It’s tough. There are a lot of players like me whose contracts run out this summer,” said Craig. “I’m 33 now, so no-one is going to be chasing me to sign any time soon. But you just have to stay positive. The PFA stuff is keeping me busy, so I’m not really focused on anything else.
“Myself and our captain Jason Kerr have regular phone calls with St Johnstone, I speak to the manager a couple of times a week. The club has been brilliant in terms of keeping the players in the loop.
“That’s given me a bit of breathing space. I’ve got a great relationship with St Johnstone and I want to stay there as long as I can. But I realise that with the severity of this situation, things that were said a month or two ago might not still be on the table for some players.
“Until anything is signed, players are genuinely worried about moving forward. It could be a time when you see more and more players looking for a job outside football.
“Until we get a wee bit of clarity on when next season starts, I don’t think clubs are going to be in a mad rush to be offering too many contracts. It is a worry and you could have a massive volume of players out of contract. We have made players aware of how severe the situation is.”
Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor had predicted as much as 60% of SPFL footballers could face unemployment this summer, a startling number with clubs in no position to make guarantees with contracts.
For part-time players it may be less of a concern should they have a primary income to fall back on, with Craig and the PFA encouraging players to look outside of the football bubble.
“Right from the start of this season, when PFA Scotland did our annual club visits, we made sure players were aware of the benefits of the educational side of things we can offer,” said Craig. “The players really bought into it and over the last couple of months, our education officer Chris Higgins has been brilliant in terms of the amount of players he has spoken to, letting them know there are other careers and options for them.
“Even if you sign a three or four-year contract, you should always be looking to do something outwith football so you have something to fall back on.”
Scotland’s lower-league seasons have been ended, with the Premiership likely to go the same way should it prove unsafe to resume. Playing behind closed doors has been raised as an option to complete the top-flight season, however testing kits for coronavirus could cost Scottish clubs more than £150,000.
“We’ve said from the start that players’ safety is paramount and that’ll always be the case,” added Craig. “If the medics and government give us the go-ahead to play and it is safe to play behind closed doors, then obviously we will when it’s the right thing to do. If you ask any player they much prefer playing with supporters in the ground as it adds to the spectacle.”
