For nearly three months football enthusiasts in Wuhan were left kicking their heels indoors as the coronavirus raged in the Chinese city at the epicentre of the outbreak. But since the harsh lockdown on the city of 11 million people ended in early April amateur footballers have been gleefully ripping off their face masks and lacing up their boots again.

"It was a long time to be in lockdown so we had to do some exercise at home," said Wang Zijun, 42. "I used to juggle the ball with my son at home and pass the ball to each other, and sometimes we went to the underground garage to do exercise." Another player who finally enjoyed a run-out on a warm evening under floodlights said it was liberating to be able to kick a ball again with friends and team-mates. They did so without their masks covering their faces, although some players kept them dangling around their necks. "Before the lockdown was lifted everyone felt so oppressed," said the 45-year-old, who would only give the surname Wen.