Sordell: "You don't need a situation where you're forcing people to go back or they're refusing to do things."
Tuesday 19 May 2020 11:38, UK
Players may refuse to return to action depending on personal circumstances as plans to restart football continue, says former Watford forward Marvin Sordell.
The Professional Footballers' Association will conduct a consultation with players to understand their feelings about a return to playing.
Sordell, 29, who retired last summer, believes it must be a personal choice depending on a player's individual circumstances.
"Every single person has a different situation going on at home," he said.
"Some people will be living on their own and they won't have any responsibilities in that sense, or those fears that they may pass the virus onto somebody else if they contracted it themselves. And that's fine, they'll be eager to play and they don't have to worry about certain things.
"There will be other players who live with their parents, or they are their parents' only means of being able to get food.
"Their partners might be pregnant or they might have young kids, and some might have underlying health conditions. Some players themselves might have underlying health conditions.
"I think all of those accounts need to be taken in, because you don't need a situation where you're forcing people to go back or they're refusing to do things."
Premier League clubs said on Friday they remain committed to restarting the 2019-20 season, but also made clear players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted.
With the safety of players and staff high on the list of concerns, the PFA will now ask players across all leagues how they feel about a return to action in a comprehensive operation that is expected to begin this week.
"Players at every club are to be fully consulted," PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor told Sky Sports News.
Sordell is adamant that personal circumstances must be taken into account.
"You have to respect people's opinions on this," he said.
"I think people's own situations need to be respected. If they want to play, and it's safe to do so, then allow them to play. If they don't want to play because they don't think it's safe to do so, I think that needs to be respected."
Asked whether he would be happy to play if he was still a professional, Sordell said: "I would be uneasy about doing so. I've got two young kids - my daughter is about to turn three and my son is one.
"My daughter has an underlying condition, I have asthma, albeit mild, my son also has an underlying health condition.
"So for me, I wouldn't want to risk potentially bringing something back for the want to go and play football and entertain others. Of course, I want to go and do my job and I love playing football, but some things are bigger than that.
"Of course there will be suggestions that players should just be away from their families for months, I don't think that's a reasonable ask, particularly with what's going on at the moment."
