'It’s a giant of a club': Alex Pritchard opens up on Covid-19 setback, his impressions of Sunderland and promotion aspirations

Following his move from Huddersfield in July, the 28-year-old playmaker caught the virus a few weeks later and didn’t feature at all in pre-season.

That has clearly had a knock-on effect, and left Pritchard playing catch up while trying to build up his fitness.

But after clocking up 65 minutes at Port Vale in the Carabao Cup, and making his first league start in the Black Cats’ 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon, the player is making progress.

“Obviously pre-season is a massive part of starting a season, and I’m not looking for excuses, but there are a lot of players out there who have probably had the same sort of thing, catching Covid,” said Pritchard after the Wimbledon win.

“It’s really difficult but look it’s just one of those things you just have to get on with it.

“It’s going to obviously take a few weeks but I’ve just got to stay fit, keep working hard and things will click. You’ll get the extra half a yard of pace and stuff. It is going to be difficult but I’ll get there.

“Covid is a weird one, it really does knock the wind out of you and then obviously you have to play catch up.

“I was out for a couple of days and then had to go and have heart tests, it’s just been difficult.”

Pritchard previously helped Brentford reach the Championship play-offs in 2015, and has impressed in the second tier for Huddersfield and Norwich.

Still, the playmaker was highly complementary when asked about the atmosphere and team spirit of this Sunderland squad.

“It’s really good, probably one of the best to come into actually," he replied. “The lads have been brilliant, we work hard, work well as a team and it’s been a great start.”

And now that he’s ready to start games again, the aim for Pritchard is clear this season.

“It’s a giant of a club and we’re in league One, that’s where we’re at at the moment,” he replied when asked his impressions of Sunderland.

“With conversations with the manager and arriving here I know what a big club it is and we’ve got to try and get out of the league.

“Momentum is a massive thing and with the fans behind us it’s a fortress at home and then away from home when times get difficult you need to maybe not lose.”

Pritchard has clearly been impressed with the Sunderland fans after they applauded the team off despite a 1-0 defeat at Burton last week.

“From the outside looking in, it's been difficult times at this club,” added Pritchard following the Wimbledon win. “But you just feel like we want to get the fans on side, the fans were brilliant, and just to get them to stick with the boys really.

“You are going to have bad times in the season and it will be difficult, like at Burton we lost 1-0 but the fans were excellent.

“Today there were maybe a few groans but that’s the club we’re at. It’s just about not going under and everyone standing up for themselves.”

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