FIFA tournaments, Lego puzzles and ‘cooking for the 500’. All part of during life in lockdown for Ellie Roebuck.
From having her breakthrough year for both club and country and training for an Olympics to training her new dog Johnny, it’s been quite a year for Roebuck.
A line that was all too familiar to the child in me from Roebuck: “My mum and dad were like your dog, your responsibility”. How many times were you told that after getting a pet as a kid?
However, anyone who follows Ellie on social media will realise how quickly Johnny has become a mainstay in the family as she said: “He’s just magic really, playful and everyone loves him.”
With everyone’s life and plans up in the air with the current pandemic, what is it like to be a professional footballer in lockdown?
Missing friends or football?
What might be surprising to a lot of people is that it’s not the football Roebuck has been missing the most, but the social aspect and being with the squad every day, she said: “I think it’s more socially because with the girls we’d go for coffee quite often and go out and the social aspect of going into training and seeing everyone because the training aspect hasn’t been too different really.”
It’s easy to forget footballers are just human, especially with some of the heroics they perform on the pitch, however, they miss their friends and seeing people just like everyone else.
If you have ever seen a behind the scenes training video from any football club you would have found how competitive players are, on and off the pitch. This is no different for the Manchester City players as Roebuck added: “I’ve spoken with a few of the girls and been comparing times and scores to give you that competitiveness because it can be hard to keep motivated just on your own.”
As a keeper, Roebuck is in an awkward situation as she needs to be coached by specific goalkeeper coaches, which is not possible during lockdown so has had to rely on her dad, which has been slightly different from working with Chris, her coach at City: “One thing I’ve found tough is that as a keeper my dad isn’t very good at football so kicking a ball against a wall and trying to save it is not really ideal and there’s a lot more you can do.
I know it sounds daft, but juggling and hand-eye coordination, but that’s been the toughest thing as it’s quite a speciality being a keeper coach and not any people can do it.”
Replicating training difficult
However, despite these obstacles City were ‘so proactive’ when football came to a standstill which should come as no surprise with City leading the way in women’s football. Roebuck spoke glowingly of City and everything they have done for the players and the team in general. The 20-year old added: “The club has helped massively, I think they were so proactive at the start. Within the first few days of being told we couldn’t go into training, we got sent gym equipment and a Watt bike.” With all the players being provided with this level of equipment and care from the club, it is no wonder they are leading the way.
Roebuck added: “We have the motto same City, same passion. We train at the same place, have the same food and same media input and coverage within the club (as the men’s team) is just amazing. It’s something that’s still progressing.
“Especially in England they’re at the top of the game in terms of pushing women’s football and to be apart of that is really exciting.”