PETER Leven has quit his foreign adventure in Belarus to reunite with his family.

The former Oxford United midfielder was part of the coaching team which delivered a first league title to Dynamo Brest last season.

But although the Belarusian Premier League is the only

top-flight division in Europe still playing despite coronavirus, Leven has packed his bags.

Changes to the coaching set-up did not help, but watching from the news unfolding in the UK from afar was the major factor.

“The situation back home was getting worse,” he said.

“I had a year left, but I just wanted to be back with my family in a time like this. It’s more important than anything else.”

It was an odd experience for the 36-year-old, who was getting messages about the picture back home which were completely different to life in Belarus, where the latest figure for confirmed Covid-19 cases is under 100.

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The country has largely carried on as before, with crowds still allowed at football grounds for a league which is all of a sudden attracting a lot of attention as the last competition standing.

“It’s a little bit strange, because the whole football world has shut down,” Leven said.

“There was no panic. Nobody was really talking about it.

“I could go to the chemist and get as much hand gel as I wanted – I know it’s like gold dust over here now so I bought four or five bottles to bring home because the missus was asking for it.

“For the football it’s quite good because people are taking more interest in it – maybe that’s the idea, I don’t know.

“Even Russia has stopped. I don’t know what the cases are like now, but I still speak to the boys and they’re training and playing games as normal.”

The Scot was working under Czech coach Marcel Licka, whose contract was not extended despite the title and Super Cup double.

While the end has come 12 months earlier than planned, Leven enjoyed the experience and did not rule out another overseas role in future.

For the moment he has to wait for football to return, but there is no shortage of jobs at home with his wife and daughter.

“I’ve got my duties clearing the garden and doing the Joe Wicks workout in the morning,” Leven said.

“The most important thing is the family staying safe and getting the country back to normality.

“I really enjoyed my time in Belarus and it’s always a bit better when you win your first trophies.

“But it would have been difficult to be over there and watching what was happening in the UK, definitely.”