JOHN BARNES has every sympathy with Troy Deeney for refusing to return to training in the midst of the coronavirus crisis.
But the Watford legend has told the current Hornets skipper that if he is going to wait until it is cleared completely, he could end up waiting years.
Deeney is one of the Premier League stars who has refused to go back to work after top-flight chiefs gave the green light for limited training to resume this week.
It is part of the first stage of Project Restart, which aims to get the season back up and running next month.
But Hornets striker Deeney is staying at home as he is worried about contracting Covid-19 and passing it on to his family – including his five-month old son who has breathing difficulties.
Barnes said: “Players have to be allowed to make that decision themselves.
“I’ve got sympathy with players who don’t want to play and I’ve got sympathy with those players who want to play because we’re all different, we’re all human beings.
“Footballers don’t all think alike, and it’s nothing to do with football, it’s to do with safety.”
Deeney is also concerned by the extra risk the virus is said to pose to the BAME community.
Former England ace Barnes told Sky’s Football Show: “It’s quite complex. I spoke about it with my son, who is actually a doctor.
“From a BAME perspective you have the socio-economic dynamic of BAME people getting it.
“You also have certain health concerns with people with high blood pressure and heart disease, which BAME people have more.
“And notwithstanding that there is also the unanswered question about whether BAME people would get it without those factors. This is unproven but it is a concern.
“I am sure there are some BAME players who say they are quite happy to go back to playing and take a risk.
“Although if we’re waiting for the virus to disappear before we get back plying our trade, we are not going to do that for years.
“So it’s a question of whether they think it’s worth taking that risk and weighing up the factors.
“So it’s not as simple as saying BAME people are more likely to get it so therefore all of them are not going to want to train or play.”
