Flynn Downes: Swansea City's rising star fighting fit despite second bout of Covid-19
- Published
Flynn Downes made his senior debut for Ipswich in 2017
Flynn Downes had just driven to his native Essex for Christmas when he received the message nobody wants these days.
"I got home and that night, about 9pm, I got a text saying I'd got Covid," says the Swansea City midfielder.
"All my family were meant to be coming round the next day - my nan who I haven't seen - but it threw a spanner in the works, to say the least."
Downes was one of numerous members of the Swansea squad who tested positive over the festive period, with an outbreak forcing the club to close their training ground for five days.
It was a second bout of Covid-19 for Downes, 22, who was so unwell when he first caught the virus last August that merely touching his skin triggered pain.
The good news second time around was Downes had no symptoms.
"A PCR test was positive, then about five lateral flows were not, so I don't know how that works," he says.
"I had no symptoms but the PCR said I have got it, so I have got it."
Downes' Christmas may not have gone according to plan thanks to Covid - yet were it not for the virus, Swansea's players would not have had time to head to their respective homes in the first place.
Head coach Russell Martin had given his squad a couple of extra days off after festive fixtures against Queens Park Rangers and Millwall were postponed because of positive cases in the opposing squads.
Swansea's own outbreak meant home games against Luton and Fulham were called off as well. As a result, Martin's side will be playing a first Championship match in 35 days when they go to Huddersfield on Saturday.
"We need to blow the cobwebs off," Downes says.
Swansea's unexpected mid-season break has left them stewing on a heavy home defeat to Nottingham Forest, which took place back on 11 December.
Long shifts were required as they returned to action in the FA Cup last weekend, with their third-round loss to Southampton going into extra time.
"120 minutes tested the legs, I can tell you," Downes adds.
"We needed the game. It was important to get a run-out and we are looking forward to a league game now."
Downes feels Swansea go to Huddersfield in decent physical condition despite a spell of disrupted training.
"When the Covid kicked off down at the training ground, we were supposed to be going out training at 10am and then we'd be sitting there for an hour doing PCR tests," he says.
"You'd be sitting in your own little room just waiting. Then games were getting called off, it was just throwing everyone off.
"In training groups there were five of us - the gaffer couldn't put on any training sessions. It's been madness really, but hopefully that's all behind us now."
A £1.4m signing from Ipswich last August, Downes has been one of the success stories of Swansea's season.
Martin's team remain a work in progress, with a run of three successive Championship defeats - plus their spell of inactivity - seeing them drop to 17th in the table.
Flynn Downes has made 20 appearances for Swansea
Downes is unconcerned about Swansea's dip, and stresses the need for patience as Martin looks to make his mark in Wales.
"We are going to have hiccups," he says. "It's a long process - it's not going to happen overnight."
A seven-figure transfer fee is a big deal for Swansea these days, but the Downes deal already looks a smart piece of business.
With regular skipper Matt Grimes on the bench, Martin gave evidence of his admiration for Downes by making him captain against Southampton, despite the presence of senior men like Kyle Naughton and Korey Smith.
"The gaffer told me at pre-match and I was like cor, I'll take that all day," Downes says with a smile.
"I wasn't expecting it - it didn't cross my mind.
"Swansea is a massive club so to put the armband on and lead the boys out was a massive honour."
It was also a sign of how well things have gone for Downes since Swansea came calling.
An Ipswich academy product, Downes had managed 100 appearances for the Tractor Boys - and even captained the club on occasion - and played for England at under-20 level before being frozen out of the first-team picture at Portman Road last summer, prompting Swansea to make their move.
"Ipswich was tough for a couple of months there," said Downes.
"Coming here, I have loved every minute of it. The staff, the players - they have made it so easy for me to play my best football."