Coronavirus: Portsmouth's Sean Raggett 'mortified' he tested positive - as defender was in a pub when he found out
Sean Raggett has spoken of his shock upon being told he had caught Covid-19, receiving the phone call while in a pub on Friday.
The on-loan Norwich City defender was with friends at The Star, in Gillingham, Kent – oblivious of the government’s advice to avoid pubs.
The club revealed on Saturday that he was one of four players - along with James Bolton, Andy Cannon and Haji Mnoga - to have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
After being called by physio Bobby Bacic to inform him of his test result, Raggett said he was left 'mortified’.
Speaking to The Sun, the 26-year-old said: 'I was mortified. I couldn't believe I had come up positive because I haven't had any symptoms whatsoever. It's really scary stuff.'
The centre-back immediately left The Star – unaware of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement earlier that day that pubs and restaurants should shut to curb the spread of the virus.
He said: ‘I didn’t watch or hear the Prime Minister’s briefing so I had no idea pubs had been told to close.’
Raggett was in Kent to visit his parents for Mother's Day – and failing to reach them on the phone to tell them he needed to cancel his plans, he visited them in person to let them know.
He added: ‘I knocked on the front door then stood a few metres back and spoke to my dad and sister.
‘I told them the news and obviously let them know I couldn’t stay with them because I had caught the infection.’
Raggett and his friends, who accompanied him to the pub, as well as his girlfriend, are now self-isolating.
Pompey chief executive, Mark Catlin, said: ‘Football is not immune from this virus — and I can assure you that it only really hits home when those that you know contract it.'
All players who test positive are self-isolating as per government guidelines.
The team is waiting for the results of 10 further tests.