Bolton midfielder Brandon Comley admits the coronavirus pandemic could force players to quit the game.
The 24-year-old fears for some of those who have been left without clubs.
Comley joined Bolton after leaving Colchester, being released due to the financial constraints at the Us, but knows others will not be so lucky.
He told the PA news agency: “There are a lot of players who are struggling to get clubs. There are still a lot of players going through that right now. It’s a wake-up call for everyone, you have to start thinking about maybe not being able to play.
“You think if we go into another lockdown things could happen and it’s frightening but if you sit and worry about the things you can’t control, you’ll stress all your life.
“It’s a tricky one to answer. When I had the call and I was told I was going to leave Colchester because of the circumstances that was a worrying time. I missed out on getting another contract by starting one more game.
“You start thinking about should I do something else, what else can I do to get some money?”
The crisis has already seen clubs go without vital matchday revenue since March as they continue to play behind closed doors.
The government postponed plans to get fans back to games next month after the Covid-19 alert level moved to four and sport has been warned they may not return until next year.
The EFL is hoping for financial help from the Premier League while the National League is in talks with the government and Football Association over a “critical financial support package”.
“It shows you how important fans are to football’s way of life, the culture,” said Comley.
“It’s massive for any club, the financial structure of a team is sometimes based on tickets sold.
“The lower down you go they need the fans in to keep afloat. The players are quite shielded, we go out and play our football.
“But having the fans there is something which can push us forward and the lower down you go the tickets sales are massive.”
