Gillingham midfielder Stuart O’Keefe is using his local park to stay fit.

Players were sent home this week on medical advice as the club aim to keep coronavirus at bay.

While office staff across the country are working from home, the Gills players have been too.

“I don’t have my own gym or spa in my house so I will be down the park,” said the former Crystal Palace player.

“I can take a football, do my runs and get as much work as I can in, as best I can.

“We are being sensible and gyms are a bit of a no-go at the moment, for obvious reasons. We just have to do what we can.”

One of his neighbours is Cardiff City manager Neil Harris, so O’Keefe knows where to look if he needs someone to spar with.

O’Keefe said: “I might see if he is about. I can put him in goal and practice my finishing!”

Jokes aside, the Gills man is well aware of the seriousness of the situation the country faces, in what is a unique situation for everyone.

He said: “We want to play football, especially with the comeback at Sunderland, everyone was on such a high and everyone was looking forward to the Fleetwood game, thinking if we could win that one we were back on for the play-offs.

“It is frustrating, we’re in limbo, but people’s health and welfare comes before football and we can’t complain. We have to be professional about it.

“I have grandparents back in Ipswich, they are being wary of it and not going out as much and being careful about who comes around the house. It is something we need to worry about and I will be keeping an eye out for them.

“At the moment I feel good but it is the people around us, family and friends, we have to be careful about them.”

The Gills are currently training with no end goal, hoping that there is time to complete the season before the summer arrives.

“It is a difficult situation,” said the 29-year-old.

“We just need to keep fit. We have a fantastic fitness and medical team who are coming up with the best plans they can for us but it is hard not knowing what you are going back for or when you are going back.

“We just have to be careful, be sensible and get a good block of work in and don’t fall off it because the last thing you want to do is go straight into it when you are called upon and you pick up injuries or little niggles, things like that. It is important to keep a certain level of fitness up.”

With Euro 2020 postponed for a year, the season could now be extended through to July.

That’s fine for O’Keefe but he says there must be a break before the 2020/21 season starts.

He said: “We have had a break and to go back into it and play through June and July is fine, but the players are wary of when does the next season start? Is that going to get pushed back?

“If so, then fine, because we still get to have our break but if it doesn’t then it becomes a whole continuous year and I don’t think that is healthy.

“I think players need that break, especially in the lower leagues, where you don’t get your international breaks and you come in at all of the early rounds of the cups and then you have the leasing.com trophy.

“You have a vast majority of games compared to the Championship and Premier League, I think that break is needed and worthwhile.

“If the season gets extended I don’t think the boys have a problem with it because it would be nice to finish what we have done and see where we end up.

“There are things to play for still, especially for us and everyone above us.

“It’s great if this one finishes but we have to bear in mind when do we start the next one.

“There is talk of not having the cup competitions next year, start the season later and then maybe you can play more league games, when you should be playing cup games and get the time back that way. It sounds like a good idea but it is all speculation at the moment.”

At least O’Keefe hasn’t booked himself a holiday yet. He was holding off as the Gills maintained an outside chance of a play-off spot.

He said: “We have been on a decent run so I thought I better hold fire on making a booking!

“We will have to see whether football is up and running, whether we have a break, or if we can even go away, we might not be allowed away.”

Before the league was suspended, the Gills had lost just once in 17 league games, to give themselves a sniff of a top six finish.

O’Keefe said: “If we are being picky we would have liked to have picked up more points, we have drawn a few, but we can’t really complain.

“We have a small squad but it is a good one and a hard-working one and we have done really well up until this point.

“It has been a good run, especially for the fans and everyone at Gillingham, something I think the club needed. Hopefully it can continue, coronavirus pending.”

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