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Close: Good Times Will Return

Midfielder looking forward to playing at a full Fratton again

16 April 2020

Ben Close celebrates scoring for Pompey against Wycombe
Photo: Graham Hunt
Interviews

Close: Good Times Will Return

Midfielder looking forward to playing at a full Fratton again

16 April 2020

You could be forgiven for not realising that the Easter bank holiday weekend has just passed.

The current lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic means it can be tough to distinguish between days at the moment.

Ben Close admitted that it is difficult to be stuck indoors while the football season has been suspended.

And, when the crisis has passed, he cannot wait to play in front of a packed house at Fratton Park once again.

The midfielder said: “This time of year is a really good one to be playing football, although we understand there are more important things going on in the world.

“We had a great Easter weekend last year, dramatically winning at Burton on the Friday and then beating Coventry on the Monday.

“It was also frustrating not to be going to Wembley for the EFL Trophy final and seeing all the videos from the previous season probably made it worse.

"I can’t wait to be playing in front of thousands of fans again. We’ve probably taken for granted just how great our supporters are."

Ben Close

“You’re left thinking about what could have been, but we’ll get through this and the good times will be back again.

“There might be some games behind closed doors at first – which will be different – and that’s just how it’s got to be.

“But I can’t wait to be playing in front of thousands of fans again. We’ve probably taken for granted just how great our supporters are.”

Footballers need to be prepared for when training does resume, although Close has also been catching up on Netflix.

He said: “It’s certainly not ideal, but you do what you can with all the time that we’ve now got available.

“I’ve been trying to keep fit and have been out on my bike with the weather having picked up quite a bit.

“You also watch a bit of television and I know a lot of people have been talking about Tiger King. It’s mad and difficult to believe that they’re real people and not characters.”


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