Steven Bell admits he couldn’t let the coronavirus crisis bring down the curtain on his career.
The stopper, who ended the season as United skipper, insists he’s ready to stay on for more – whenever football does return.
But he knows the game and its players have never faced a tougher time.
Bell, 35, told the Ayrshire Post: “I want to keep playing, and in a strange way everything that’s going on right now has helped me make that decision.
“I guess I reached the stage where I thought...I don’t want to go out in this manner.
“A lot of people have asked if things would have been different had we just ended the season normally.
“All I know is that my hunger and desire to play is still there and hopefully that will be at Ayr.”
Bell, who trains with United part-time while juggling jobs outside of football, admits the current life of a player is filled with stress.
He said: “People think it’s a good job – and it is – but there’s the other side of things that goes unseen.
“The worry for lads right now is incredible.
“When you live in the football bubble, you think that’s the only thing that exists.
“But now you have boys who could be without wages and I know of some in the game who are going off to train for other jobs.”
Bell added: “All credit to Ayr, they have been fantastic with us as a club.
“The communication from the directors and management has been first class and that makes a real difference.
“Obviously when we get through this you just hope everyone will be sorted and okay.”
Bell is among the elder statesmen in the United dressing room and, with 18 seasons in the tank, is looking forward to more.
He said: “I feel fit, I feel great, so there's no reason I can't keep on playing.
"Obviously at my stage you just take things season by season but I still feel I have something to offer.
"Nobody knows what the future of football will look like but we have to hope for the best.
“Just making sure our club stays afloat is the most important thing.”
