Derby County striker Martyn Waghorn has admitted that the banter and jokes with his Rams teammates on a regular basis has been a big miss for him during the recent suspension of football across the country.

With football postponed for the foreseeable future as part of the response to the Coronavirus outbreak, players up and down the country are now having to train at home, and Waghorn and his Derby teammates are no different.

Proving an update on how his training is going while by himself, Waghorn told RamsTV: “We have stuff to do and I am fortunate enough to have a good set-up at home to do work.

"I know it can be difficult for some others but I’m trying to do as much as I can without overdoing it or getting bored.

“It’s about finding the balance between enjoying it still and keeping yourself ticking over. The staff have been great at creating programmes and training schedules.

“For me personally, I feel better when I just keep playing and playing but that isn’t possible right now so it’s important to stay fit, healthy and let a few niggles and bruises to settle down.”

Explaining the pros and cons of being at home, Martin does appear to be missing the camaraderie with his teammates, even though he is enjoying the time he is able to spend with his family, as he continued: “The day-to-day banter and jokes around the place with the lads is priceless, so it’s a big miss.

“However, I can’t lie I have enjoyed spending so much time with my family because we’re not used to long periods together like this – especially at this time when you’re normally training and preparing for games - and it’s great to see my little man growing up, too.”

So far this season, Waghorn has scored 12 goals in 37 league appearances for Derby, who are currently 12th in the Championship table, five points off the play-off places.

The Verdict

This is an interesting insight into just how players may be coping with the current situation.

It is of course not going to be easy for many, given the difference from the norm they are experiencing, and the fact that their homes are unlikely to be equipped for training in the same way as a club training ground.

Even so, it does seem as though Waghorn at least is managing to keep himself fit, and the fact that he has identified the interactions with his teammates as the thing he is missing most highlights the level of spirit there is behind the scenes at the club this season.