CHRISTMAS DAY WORKERS: Caley Thistle defender missing mum's hugs amid Covid-19 restrictions
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He has dealt fearlessly with the physical threat of strikers from Liam Boyce to Moussa Dembele.
None of the hardman stuff, though, lessens Caley Thistle defender Brad Mckay’s craving for a big Christmas hug with his mum.
One often-overlooked challenge for footballers relocating to the Highlands – in Brad’s case from Edinburgh – is just how tough it can be to be apart from loved ones, especially during a pandemic and more so on Christmas Day. Caley Thistle travel to play Morton on Boxing Day.
“I’ve trained on Christmas Day many times,” the Edinburgh-raised 27-year-old said. “The day before a game is important for set plays and tactical detail. Most managers are family men and try to get us in early and home sharp.
“I’d never compare us to folk in the emergency services or NHS who work wonders on Christmas Day, but we have an obligation to perform.
“Where lots of folk will be having their big lunch and drinks with their families, we sacrifice that. You miss a lot of family events. I’m a massive family guy and I absolutely miss them. I’ve got three sisters, my brother and my mum down the road who I’m all very close to.
“Moving here at first, I found it very difficult but the manager lets me go home before away games. Obviously with Covid, it has been tougher. I haven’t seen my family for a few months now and there’s nothing like giving your mum a big cuddle!
“My mum always worries about me and always says ‘I miss my big laddie’, but I try and reassure her that the atmosphere at the club is really nice and merry at this time of year.
“If I can’t see them this year, I’ll be on the iPad for a video chat. I’ll share Christmas dinner with my housemate Kevin McHattie. Kevin, to be fair, is a great cook, so I’ll maybe just put the feet up!”
