Everton defender Michael Keane has revealed that he contracted coronavirus.
Keane tested positive for Covid-19 in March, shortly before the UK entered lockdown for the pandemic which also halted the Premier League schedule.
The England international was one of two fully-fit central defenders at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal prior to the English top flight’s hiatus from March 13.
As the Blues prepare to return to action on June 21, Keane has spoken in depth about how the virus affected him physically over a two-week period.
“I got the virus after we’d finished training but before the country went into lockdown,” he told the Daily Mirror.
“I went to play golf at Wentworth, felt ill driving home but my pals didn’t get it so I don’t really understand where I got it. I was in the shower and all of a sudden I felt like I was going to faint.
“It wasn’t something that I’d had before. I came out of the shower, I was soaking wet just lay on the bed and I just needed to lie down.
“I didn’t think too much of it, I was OK but then I work up the next day and I felt really off.
“I didn’t have a cough but felt lethargic, low on energy and then went to bed that night and had the sweats for two nights.
“I went out for a run, was going out for 20 minutes but had to stop after three and a half minutes because my chest wasn’t right, I was really heavily breathing and I had to stop and walk home.
“I knew at that point something was wrong. I told the physios and they sent me a test, it arrived six days later by which time I felt better but it still came up positive.
“Even when I felt better, it probably took two weeks for my chest to feel back to normal when I was running.”
Keane and his Everton teammates resumed training a fortnight ago ahead of the Premier League’s planned return with games behind closed doors.
A decision on where this month’s rescheduled Merseyside derby with Liverpool will be held is set to be taken on Friday by the local authorities.
The 27-year-old remains hopeful of playing the game at Goodison Park but admits the prospect of a neutral venue will not make a great difference.
He added: “It will be strange not having fans but it will be the same for everyone.
“Once you’re actually playing, you don’t focus on the fans, you focus on the pitch and, as a centre half, you’re scanning the pitch and shouting at the midfielders to get into position.
“Even with no fans there, just being in your own surroundings of course it would be better to be at Goodison.
“But if we have to play at a neutral venue, although you don’t have the same comforts of Goodison and the little things like having the same seat in the dressing room, it won’t affect us too much.”