THE GAME DAILY | PAUL HIRST

Wednesday June 10 2020, 12.00pm, The Times

The Premier League returns a week today after a three-month hiatus, but it will not be football as we know it. For the first time, matches will be played in empty stadia, which will be an alien concept for players.

We spoke to renowned sports psychologist Martin Perry, who has worked with top footballers including Aaron Ramsey, about the mental challenge of playing behind closed doors.

How will players be affected by playing behind closed doors?

MP There are two elements: one is attitude and the other is concentration. I think attitude is not going to be as big a problem as you might imagine if a player hasnt played for eight weeks. Its a bit like coming back for the first day of the

Read the rest here:
'If a player is well trained mentally, it doesn't matter if there are no fans there' - The Times