When football first returned after the Covid-19 pandemic had shut down all sports, players were told to stay away from their teammates during celebrations. For a short while, footballers heeded those warnings.
Unfortunately, much like most Americans have slowly begun to ignore all Covid-19 precautions as deaths surge at alarming rates, footballers soon decided they could celebrate however they like without punishment.
Recently in England, calls have renewed to have players practice social distancing while celebrating as the country faces another wave of the deadly virus. Again, most footballers have ignored those pleas.
One player who has taken note of those requests is Leicester City’s James Maddison.
Maddison has a history of heartwarming celebrations, including one to honor a 5-year-old who lost her battle with cancer. After scoring against Southampton on Saturday, he again celebrated in meaningful fashion.
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— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) January 16, 2021
While far too many people across the world are not taking Covid-19 seriously enough (more than two million people have died, including close to 400,000 in the U.S.), at least Maddison appears to be aware of the issue. He may have been simply making fun of the request to have players celebrate socially distanced — after all, they’re constantly touching each other during matches — but reminding viewers that there is still a deadly pandemic raging isn’t a bad idea. And it looks like he had fun while doing it.
Leicester City won the match 2-0, with Harvey Barnes adding a second goal in the 95th minute. The Foxes currently sit second in the Premier League.
