Liverpool captain puts care home career first during Covid crisis

Liverpool captain Sophie Bradley-Auckland has confirmed she will not be returning to training for the new Women's Championship season, instead concentrating on her career as manager of a care home whilst the coronavirus crisis continues.

The defender told liverpoolfc.com: "Unfortunately with the current situation it’s made me have to make a decision, one that’s been awful and I’ve actually lost sleep about it. The fact is that I can’t return to Liverpool until a risk isn’t posed on the care home."

Bradley-Auckland runs the Edenhurst care home in Nottingham. Although all tests for Covid-19 at the home have so far come back negative, she will not return to training with the rest of the squad.

"My happiness - and that’s what I call playing football, something that I love to do - isn’t worth somebody’s life. It is actually risking somebody's life," Bradley-Auckland said.  "I’ve got 24 residents and I would never want to pose any further risk on them than what’s already there."

The club have offered their full support but the player admits the situation is disruptive: "I rang [manager Vicky Jepson] and it actually came at such terrible timing because we had just found out that the FA had actually relegated us. I needed to tell Vicky now and we need that conversation. I’m still a Red. I will be back at Liverpool but unfortunately at this moment in time it’s not possible for me to come, so I think it’s very much up in the air."