Adapting to the new normal is something that has taken some adjusting to, but it's a task well within his team's grasp according to SuperSport United's Clayton Daniels.
The veteran rejoined his teammates in training two weeks ago, something he could not do for well over three months due to COVID-19 as the country's numbers continue to soar.
With the resumption of football in the country now a reality, the experienced defender, who recently penned a contract extension with the Tshwane outfit, opened up on being around his teammates during the pandemic and explained why it is refreshing, but different.
"We would love to hug each other to show the appreciation and all those things but it is different now. I think the players adapt very well, they are very professional in that sense.
"It is more about the individual now than before, you have to prepare yourself very well for the good of the team. You have to go home and focus on other elements of your body, work hard in a different dimension whereas at training, you do your football things but you need to strengthen training so that is required to do from yourself where no one is watching. This is carried out behind closed doors and this is the professionalism every player needs to adapt going forward," Daniels explained.
Meanwhile Daniels has also paid tribute to the likes of Thabo Mnyamane, Thabo Qalinge and Dean Furman who departed the club during this period.
"Firstly I want to say thank them for their dedicated service, secondly I want to wish them all the best going forward and I hope they become better players and also better people. We at SuperSport United are a family and losing a family member to another team is sad to see but we all know how it goes in football.
"They know what it is like to play for a club like SuperSport, the challenge for titles every season and they know that we pride ourselves in working hard every day, the team comes first before any individual and they know what they have achieved here at our club and we were grateful they had their share in achieving those goals, something they can be proud of and I hope this is something they can take with them on their journey going forward. I wish them all the best, and hopefully we shall meet again on the pitch," Daniels said.
