As the Diamonds squad prepare their Players Player of the Year Award announcement, club captain Sean Crighton has provided an update concerning the current situation.

With polling underway for the club’s end of season awards, the players have submitted their votes for their own Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, with the results to be announced over the next two days.

Captain Crighton says that he and his team-mates are in good spirits despite the premature end to the season.

“Life without football has obviously been strange, but you just have to try to get on with it as best you can.

“It’s important to stay safe and look after your families, that’s the main thing, but on a personal level for me and from speaking to the other boys, we’re all trying to keep ourselves ticking over with runs and workouts. It’s going to be the longest pre-season we’ve ever had!

“I’m probably doing more than usual just due to sheer boredom - I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been.

“The squad have all been keeping in touch regularly, and as captain I’ve been involved in communication between the club and the players. I’m also a member of the PFA management committee so it’s important to keep everyone up to date while we wait to find out what’s happening in the long term.

“We’ve all been chatting online and doing Zoom quizzes and it’s been a good laugh, so that dressing room spirit is still there.”

Sean has also overseen the Players Player of the Year awards, with the squad submitting their votes to club secretary Ann Marie Ballantyne.

He said: “There’s no better feeling as a player than to get that recognition from your peers. The fans awards mean the world to us as they’re the ‘official’ ones, but to know how much your team-mates value you is special in a different way.

“We’d been having a good season, and we were hopeful of making it an even better one before this happened, so it’s pleasing for the guys who are performing week in and week out to get that recognition.”

The Players Young Player of the Year will be announced on airdriefc.com and our social media channels tomorrow, with the Players Player of the Year to follow on Thursday.