Walsall boss Darrell Clarke: Let the players celebrate

Walsall players, as with many teams up and down the country, have regularly celebrated goals as a team this season.

After criticism was aimed at Premier League players for their celebrations, which go against Covid protocols, Josh Gordon encouraged his team-mates to stay back after his goal against Morecambe on Tuesday night.

But Clarke believes the twice-weekly testing the players and staff go through should allow them to celebrate normally.

"I'll be honest, I have more worries on my plate than players celebrating," Clarke said.

"At the end of the day we're in a bubble, the players can't go anywhere because we're in a lockdown and we're getting tested twice a week.

"They have to refrain from it, we try as best as we possibly can, but taking emotion out of somebody scoring a goal is very difficult.

"We tell the lads to be sensible but I don't remember these rules being in earlier in the season. People want to jump on the bandwagon on footballs being the privileged ones because they're allowed to carry on.

"But footballers just want to carry on with their jobs and work and be as sensible as we possibly can.

"Like in any other industry they'll be one or two that let you down.

"The statistics tell you that in the younger population it's not as serious but we want young people to be sensible around the ones that are very vulnerable.

"A lot of it is common sense. If you're going to be in a changing room with a group of lads is it a good idea to go and see your Grandma or Granddad or mixing with other people? The answer is no.

"The majority of people have common sense, but you'll always get 10 or 15 per cent that don't have that and let the others down."