Hatters defender believes his career could be extended by lockdown

Defender Martin Cranie believes his career could be extended for 'a few years' after the football season was postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Cranie, who as been a pro for 16 years, starting out with Southampton back in May 2004, has made over 400 appearances for the likes of Coventry City, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town to name just three so far.

The 33-year-old, who is under contract for another year at Kenilworth Road, has only started 14 league games since arriving on a free from Sheffield United in the summer due to a variety of ailments.

He picked up a knee injury against Sheffield Wednesday in August, and then suffered further set-backs, but was finally getting over them just as the season was halted, playing against Brentford, Stoke and then Wigan.

The enforced absence has now seen Cranie able to fully rest up and he is hoping the break could even extend his longevity even further, saying: “You never know, I’m hoping so.

“I know I’ll be fresher going back in, it’s just a case of maintaining fitness for me and hopefully, if it can push me on a few years more, it could be beneficial for me.

“In a way for me, although it’s not a good time to have off, I had a few niggles in my legs and it’s put them to bed these past few weeks.

“I’ve got over them, so for me it’s freshened me up a little bit.

“I’ve had a few lay-offs this year, I’ve been used to not doing what I’d normally do daily, so I’ve probably been able to manage it a little bit better than people who are used to training day in, day out.”

Although the break came at a good time for Cranie, it was less welcomed by the Hatters who had hit a spell of form, with three wins, two draws and one defeat from their previous six matches.

The defender continued: “We were getting points on the board, so it was frustrating.

“I don’t think anyone expected at the time, that it was going to go as big as it has, but that’s it.

“We’ve got to get the mentality right now that, if it does go ahead, we’ve got to come back in the same shape and the same frame of mind to go again for the last nine games.

“I think the lads have got to try and treat it like they would in the summer, with the training they’d do when they have that summer break, because this year it looks like there’s not going to be much rest between finishing this season and starting next season.”

On how he and the rest of the squad have been keeping fit during their time at home, with the entire country on lockdown, meaning the Brache is out of action, Cranie said: “It has been strange, everyone’s in the same boat, not knowing when we’re going to go back to work.

“Everyone’s going off what the government are saying, no-one’s different, we’re just all cracking on ourselves.

“The club sent out a programme, what they would do in the summer, maybe a bit less.

“A couple of boys went in to the training ground and picked up a few bits out of the gym, so we’ve got a bike here, there’s places to run nearby.

“I’ve just been ticking over, trying to stay inside while training as much as possible.

“The training’s a lot different as you’re not training in a group as a team, you’ve got to train on your own.

“It’s strange as we’re used to going in and playing with a group of people.

“It’s difficult to go out in the garden and do drills with my two little girls.

“It’s one of them where you can do little bits and bobs with a football but you can’t replicate what you’ve been doing in training with the lads.

“I’m quite fit, so it’s not too bad for me to stay on top of it with the fitness stuff and what I’m eating, it’s just a case of ticking over, as we don’t know when we’re going to start back.”

When asked how boss Graeme Jones has been interacting with the Town squad during the lockdown, Cranie continued: “He’s getting round to everyone individually just to see how everyone is and to stay on top of it, seeing how everyone’s families are and just asking generally what we’ve been doing.

“The gaffer is just wanting everyone to remain as focused as possible while you’re at home.

“I know it’s difficult, but that’s what we need to do, so he’s just checking in on everyone, seeing how everyone’s getting on.”

Cranie himself has been managing to juggle his training with family life as well, as he added: “It’s just trying to get a routine really.

“A normal day for me would be at training in the morning, come back and I’d have the kids, that would be my normal daily routine.

“At the minute, I get up, try to do a bit of fitness work, try to do a bit of school work with the little’uns, and then it’s just a case of trying to fill out the rest of the day, playing, taking them out for a walk, and that just seems to be the daily thing at the minute.”