Danny Graham admits the competitive spirit remains intact thanks to the fitness tests set by the club during the coronavirus lockdown.

Fitness chief Chris Rush has produced a programme for the players to follow as they remain in lockdown having been unable to train at Brockhall since March 13.

All times and weights are logged on an app, allowing the players to chart each other’s progress, something Graham says brings a spot of competitiveness during their time apart.

And while the striker, a popular figure in the dressing room, is missing the camaraderie of the training ground every day, he says the players have a responsibility to keep putting in the work behind the scenes.

“They’re keeping on top of us, there’s no getting away from it. I thought there might have been a couple of down days but Rushy has been on to us every day.

“It’s nice to see the boys are doing the work, we can all see each other’s, no-one is taking their foot off the peddle and everyone is wanting to make sure we’re raring to go for these last nine games when they come about.”

The lockdown has given the players a one hour window of outdoor exercise in which to complete the running parts of their training programme, but Graham revealed there is plenty to be done inside the four walls of their home.

He added: “A lot of the stuff I’m doing in the house is the stretching stuff, working on flexibility, sessions on the bike and then when the kids are in bed using the hour we’re allowed out and doing the runs then to stay on top of my fitness.

“I’m in to a bit of a routine now and it’s going well so hopefully we can keep it up.

“Hopefully it’s not that much longer. We can’t sit here and do nothing, the sports science department have sent us programmes, runs, we’ve had to sign in to an app called Strava so they can monitor us and the weight side of things, on a daily basis.

“Everyone is trying to beat each other’s times and we’re all of having a bit of banter with it. it’s good to keep that competitive edge and it’s a credit to every one of them.”

Rovers haven’t trained since the middle of last month, but had planned to return last week in small groups, without the need to use their Brockhall training base which remains closed having undergone a specialist deep clean.

Those plans have now been shelved, and with the EFL having taken the decision to suspend the season indefinitely, uncertainty clouds when the players will return, with still nine games of the season remaining.

And Graham admits that is a unique situation for a player, with this current break far different from pre-season.

He added: “We talk every day and trying to find out if we’re going to be in next week, or week after, because we’re all itching to get back.

“Little things you take for granted we’re missing them quite a bit now.

“It’s different, we didn’t know it was coming.

“Even going upstairs and playing pool, you don’t realise how lucky we are.

“To sit in the dressing room, bantering each other and giving each other stick, we miss that massively.

“We’re trying to do it through WhatsApp but it’s not quite the same.”

The country is now in to its third week of lockdown, and Graham has urged everyone to stick together so to come through the pandemic.

“It’s tough with what’s going on and we’re trying to take as much good out of it as we can. Everyone is in the same position,” he said.

“It’s something we’re not used to but we need to stick together and make sure we come through this tough time.”