Aberdeen midfielder Funso Ojo insists he feels safe again as he prepares to start pre-season training today.
The Dons begin preparations for a new campaign today at Cormack Park for the first time in three months following the easing of restrictions put in place by the coronavirus pandemic.
Football may be gearing up for a return in Scotland, but the new normal will begin with small groups and social distancing measures among team-mates.
Ojo said: “The club are doing a great job and everything they are putting in place costs a lot of money. We all know how businesses and football clubs are struggling, but Aberdeen are really putting the effort in.
“I just want everything to happen in a safe way.
“If they tell me next week we are going to be training for two months and not going to play a game because they are unhappy we cannot play in a safe way.
“I would rather be safe than play two games and go into a lockdown again because we are all ill.”
Ojo’s mood ahead of his return today is in stark contrast to the build-up to the Motherwell game on March 13, which was postponed on the day of the game due to the increased spread of the virus.
He said: “I was one of the first players when the virus broke out in Belgium to say I am not getting on the bus and I don’t want to play in this game.
“That was the day my family in Belgium went into full lockdown.
“It was weird for me to be on the phone and say we are going into lockdown and there are lines outside stores for two or three hours waiting to get food.
“And me getting on a bus to play a game at a full stadium knowing that the virus had already hit the UK as well.
“I didn’t feel comfortable.
“I was happy that game was called off, even though I am pretty sure we were going to win that game.
“The season was cancelled, but I think we would have been in third place. I would rather be healthy than being in third place and possibly ill.”
Cormack Park will be Aberdeen’s home as they step up their preparations for a proposed August 1 return to duty and Ojo believes the enhanced break has given players renewed hunger.
He said: “We have all been in lockdown for three months, so we all just want to get out of the house.
“For me getting out of the house and playing football is what I like to do the most.
“I am looking forward to it.
“It is going to be weird and strange to adapt to training in small groups and all the safety measurements they are going to put in place.”