Defender Mikey Devlin revealed Aberdeen have been utilising technology to stay mentally and physically fit during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Dons squad have been unable to train together due to the government’s social distancing measures to limit the spread of Covid-19.

During the lockdown players are following a home fitness programme devised by Pittodrie’s head of sport science and fitness, Graham Kirk.

The programme is automatically downloaded and analysed.

Scotland international Devlin insists mental health is equally important in challenging times during isolation. Players have been keeping in contact via a WhatsApp group.

Devlin, 26, said: “It is far from a normal set of circumstances we are living in at the moment.

“The club have been very good in giving us programmes to do.

“Under the current set of restrictions you are still allowed to go out for a run, which allows us to do that programme.

“That has given us a bit of routine and purpose, because when you wake up in the morning you know you have a run to do.

“You can do things in your back garden or your house as well and that keeps us feeling that we are working to a programme and working to getting back to playing football.

“We have been put on an app called Strava, which allows the sport scientist to monitor what we are doing. We are all synched into that.

“If I go for a run it is recorded on to my phone and submitted into the group where everyone can see what you have done.

“In the morning we have running and then, in the afternoon, upper or lower body conditioning.

“They are double sessions which keep us occupied, focused and working. It keeps fitness levels up so that when football starts we have not lost too much.”

The camaraderie of the dressing room is also absent during the lockdown, but the players are still keeping in touch.

Devlin added: “When you are a player you almost take for granted the spirit and what you are used to on a day-to-day basis in the changing room. I have made some friends at Aberdeen that I will probably have for life now and when you take that away it is odd.

“You are trying to find a way to stay in touch and crave that relationship again, and the banter.

“I had a video call on WhatsApp with Craig Bryson, Matty Kennedy and Scott McKenna.

“We just spoke absolute nonsense to each other for 25 minutes and did nothing but laugh. You do miss that and pine for it.

“The boys all fire into the group chat, which we are grateful for, but you miss that day-to-day interaction in the dressing room.”

PFA Scotland recently advised players to remain in contact via WhatsApp groups to prevent isolation and depression.

Many footballers live alone and PFA Scotland reiterated support advice after an upturn in the number of players getting in touch about mental health issues.

Scottish charity Back Onside confirmed they have spoken to more than 150 people in the past two weeks, 62 of them footballers from across the Scottish game.

Devlin, vice-president of PFA Scotland, said: “The PFA have been quite pro-active in what has been going on and the mental health side is something we are not neglecting.

“Normality and structure have been taken away from people’s lives. It is irrelevant whether you are a footballer or anything else, if you take away those constants it can be challenging mentally.

“Your total life is almost turned upside down.

“Programmes are in place to maintain fitness, but certainly there is the awareness that the mental health side of things is something the players have to look after – and everyone in society.

“It is a tough time for everyone and everyone will be suffering different worries and stresses regarding pay, jobs, the health and wellbeing of their selves and family members.

“We have to take every precaution possible to try to stay on top of what is a difficult time.”