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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Sam Meade

Luke Shaw and Ruben Loftus-Cheek outline stance on behind closed doors games

Premier League stars Luke Shaw and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have both underlined the importance of fans during these unprecedented times.

The top flight is currently suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

There are growing concerns though that Covid-19 could delay the season so much that it would have to be scrapped.

In order to avoid such an eventuality authorities are looking at possibly playing games behind closed doors.

But both Shaw and Loftus-Cheek have said the atmosphere would feel flat with the Manchester United fullback claiming it "doesn't feel right".

He said during a Combat Corona Twitch FIFA competition : "Fans are so important. You realise it even more [now]. I think the sport is for fans really, do you know what I mean?

Luke Shaw would advocate the season being voided (NurPhoto/PA Images)

"I think if you don’t have fans, and you don’t play in front of fans, it just doesn’t feel right.

"Especially on matchday the fans are always amazing and always help the team. Whether it’s home or even away, our fans are always brilliant and I feel like they’re always there with us."

It was a sentiment echoed by the Chelsea midfielder who claimed: "The fans are what make football what it is. You saw a few games at the end of the season – well, not the end of the season, but recently – without the fans and it wasn’t the same.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has hardly featured this season due to injury (Darren Walsh)

"It was so far off what football feels like when fans are screaming, cheering."

United and Chelsea both had their sights set on Champions League football before the season grinded to a halt.

The title has long looked a formality such has been Liverpool's form this season, but Shaw has risked the wrath of Anfield by suggesting the campaign should be voided if it can't be concluded.

"Scrap it and start again," he claimed. "Start it again yeah. It’s gotta be you know. If we can’t carry it on it’s got to be void."

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