Taking part in World Championships with no playing time would be 'nightmare', Sheffield Steelers skipper Jonathan Phillips says

The Sheffield Steelers' skipper has played just eight games, in Germany with Passau Black Hawks, since last season's UK Elite League ground to a halt due to the coronavirus lockdown.

He is desperately hoping that the EIHL will be able to stage a short season, possibly starting next month, with Government help.

"I have wanted to stay optimistic about the EIHL all the time and we are all hoping to have more news soon," he said.

"But it would be a nightmare if we couldn't get a tournament going, especially for the GB team, there are a lot of people from that team still not playing.

"If it doesn't start, would I go abroad again? Well, I would definitely look into that, I would definitely try to play before going away with GB.

"Nobody would want to just turn up in training camp and expect to play against Russia, Sweden and Finland!"

Talks continue over Steelers' possible season

Phillips says that if there is no hockey until September, he has no concerns about what his level of fitness would be - he would be 39 years old then.

"It doesn't even enter my head about my body holding up. I haven't stopped hardly, since March, maybe two weeks in the first lockdown, then I carried on with normal pre-season training, went away to play in Germany, came back and went straight back into the usual routine of the gym.

"I will readjust in this present lockdown but muscle-wise I have got all that back and am maintaining that. I am confident I can be fit in September, it is not even on the radar for me for concerns."

Phillips enjoyed his limited time in Germany.

Speaking of his form there, he said: "You always want more out of yourself, you want to contribute points-wise a little more but it really wasn't about that. It was getting on the ice after such a long Covid lay off at home and playing and just being able to have a job."

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*The Governing body recently moved the 2021 IIHF world championships from Belarus because of concerns over political unrest and Covid.

The IIHF will determine if Latvia can remain as a co-host. It is possible the tournament will be moved to a single venue.

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