Coronavirus lockdown has Scottish players looking at life after football

Scottish football’s lockdown is leading to a scramble among players to investigate other possible ways of earning a living.

With news from UEFA providing no real clarity to the way ahead, there is still much confusion as to when – and how – the game will restart in this country.

Given the possibility a lengthy break could lead to some clubs going under, redundancies cannot be ruled out.

East Fife defender, Chris Higgins, who doubles up as PFA Scotland’s personal development officer, said: “We are living in very uncertain times.

“No one knows the impact coronavirus is going to have on football and on the world.

“It is having a huge effect on all aspects of life and we have been feeling that.

“Since lockdown began, I must have had about 50 players phone me and say: ‘Chris, you need to help me – I am bored out of my nut here’.

“A lot of them don’t have any idea what they want to do, but that is fine.

“It is the commitment to try to find something new that counts because it can lead to big achievements.

“A brilliant example, one I often use in talks with players, is Brian Easton of Hamilton Accies.

“This is a guy who plays regularly in the Premiership, and who has played at a high level down in England with Burnley.

“But at the same time he is now well on his way to completing a degree.

“So they will look at him and think: ‘Well, if he is doing it then I should be too’.

“It doesn’t have to be college, either. We can help players become policemen, personal trainers, gas fitters, and so on.”

Easton is three years into his six-year course with the Open University, and is comfortable with being held up as a role model.

“I am still a long way off being a titan of industry.

“But I am really enjoying doing my Business Management modules,” said the 32-year-old Accies defender, who reckons to do around 10 hours studying a week.

“I have always fancied the idea of running my own business one day.

“The thought of being your own boss and building something up from scratch excites me.

“Right now, I don’t know what kind of business it will be, but I believe that when the time comes, I will have the confidence to succeed.

“I think a lot of players at my level already work on having a Plan B.

“The situation we are all in with coronavirus will prompt others to try to plan ahead.

“Clubs could go to the wall and players, as their employees, could find themselves out of a job.

“I think when you are facing those kind of threats, it can be comforting to think you have other possibilities potentially open to you.

“That was the case for me a couple of years ago when I got a bad injury.”

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The defender believes the support of his Accies team-mates has been crucial to his success.

“I have been at clubs where you would take a lot of stick in the dressing room for trying to better yourself this way,” he said.

“Hamilton is different. Everyone there – coaches, players and staff – is very encouraging.

“I guess it maybe helps that Blair Alston is doing it as well, and also that a couple of the younger lads are at the first-year stage.

“All in all, I think the main thing is that Accies don’t have any Billy Bigtimes at the club.

“All the guys have to work hard to earn their living on the pitch, and recognise they are probably going to have to work hard off it when they are done playing.

“It is possible that won’t be the case for all of them.

“While there could be one or two who will never have to work again, the majority will likely have to do something else.

“So why not get yourself qualified?”