Mental health in association football
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The subject of
mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
in
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
has been described as a "stigma" in the sport, although other professional sports are also affected. Professional footballers suffer more from symptoms of depression and
anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...
than the general public.


Examples

After suffering from depression, former England international
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
died by suicide at the age of 46.
Agostino Di Bartolomei Agostino Di Bartolomei (8 April 1955 in Rome – 30 May 1994 in San Marco di Castellabate) was an Italian football player, who played as a midfielder or as a defender, in a sweeper role. Famed for his elegance on the ball and playmaking sk ...
suffered from
clinical depression Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Introdu ...
after retiring from professional football, and eventually committed suicide by shooting himself in his villa in San Marco di Castellabate, on 30 May 1994, ten years to the day after his former club
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
had lost the European Cup final to
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
on penalties. During the first part of the 2000–01 season with Everton,
Paul Gascoigne Paul John Gascoigne (, born 27 May 1967), nicknamed Gazza, is an English former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He is described by the National Football Museum as "widely recognised as the most naturally talente ...
struggled with depression after losing his place in the first team following a series of injuries and a lack of fitness. Later in his career, during his time with Chinese club
Gansu Tianma Dongguan Dongcheng (Simplified Chinese: 东莞东城) was a football team based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, in the People's Republic of China, that played in the Chinese Football Association Jia League. Founded on 18 December 1999, as Gansu ...
, he went to America in April 2003 for treatment against
alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and depression. Former professional players
Robert Enke Robert Enke (24 August 1977 – 10 November 2009) was a German professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played for Mönchengladbach, Benfica, and Barcelona, but made the majority of his appearances for Bundesliga side Hannover 96 ...
and
Gary Speed Gary Andrew Speed (8 September 1969 – 27 November 2011) was a Welsh professional footballer and manager. As manager of Wales, Speed is often credited as being the catalyst for the change in fortunes of the national team and as setting t ...
have died by suicide; both suffered from depression. Enke threw himself in front of a train. Five years after Enke's death his wife stated that she believed depression in sport was no longer a taboo subject. Speed hanged himself. In September 2018 his wife said that she a discovered a letter written by Speed as a teenager which hinted at his long-term depression. In 2019 a 10-year memorial event for Enke was held a theatre hall in Hannover.
Clarke Carlisle Clarke James Carlisle (born 14 October 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender and was chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association. Born in Preston, he began playing football at a young age, taki ...
stated that he contemplated suicide after becoming injured early in his career, and in December 2014 attempted suicide due to the severe depression he was suffering from.
Sebastian Deisler Sebastian Toni Deisler (; born 5 January 1980) is a German former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder and attacking midfielder. A Borussia Mönchengladbach youth product, he played one season with the club during which it ...
was hospitalized after being unable to cope with the pressures of professional football, eventually retiring from the sport at the age of 27.
Jean-Marc Bosman Jean-Marc Bosman (; born 30 October 1964) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. His judicial challenge of the football transfer rules led to the Bosman ruling in 1995. This landmark judgement, which was handed ...
struggled to find work after his
judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...
challenge of the
football transfer In professional football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one association football club to another. In general, the players can on ...
rules led to the
Bosman ruling ''Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football Association ASBL v Jean-Marc Bosman'' (1995) C-415/93 (known as the Bosman ruling) is a 1995 European Court of Justice decision concerning freedom of movement for workers, freedom of association ...
in 1995. He ended up living off of welfare, and as a result of his financial difficulties and his claimed ostracism by the world of football, he fell into depression and also struggled with alcoholism.
Adriano Adriano or Adrião is the form of the Latin given name ''Hadrianus'' commonly used in the Italian language; the form Adrian is used in the English language. Notable people with the name include: * Adriano Banchieri, Italian composer, music theori ...
struggled with depression and alcoholism following the death of his father in 2004. In November 2008,
Gianluigi Buffon Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded pl ...
revealed in his autobiography ''Numero 1'' that he had suffered from depression between December 2003 and June 2004, and that he even saw a
psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
during this period in order to overcome it; he later elaborated further on his struggles with depression in 2013. In January 2019, he also revealed that because of his depression, he had suffered from panic attacks during his early career with
Juventus Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
, even missing a game as a result during the 2003–04 season. Ex-player
Mickey Bennett Michael Richard Bennett (born 27 August 1969) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. During his career, he made over 150 appearances in the Football League. Since his retirement from playing, Bennett has become inv ...
set up an organization called Unique Sports Counselling to help footballers deal with mental health issues. In February 2016 Steve Harper spoke out about his mental health problems while in between clubs. The PFA had to apologise after initially criticising his comments. In May 2016, professional footballer Chris Mitchell committed suicide. In October 2018 his family spoke out about his struggles with mental health. In May 2017,
Aaron Lennon Aaron Justin Lennon (; born 16 April 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger. Lennon began his career at hometown club Leeds United, making his first-team debut in 2003 and becoming the youngest player to play ...
was detained under the Mental Health Act, and he received treatment for a "stress-related illness". In March 2019 he spoke about the incident, and said that other players had asked him for advice. In June 2017,
Steven Caulker Steven Roy Caulker (born 29 December 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Born in England, he represents and captains the Sierra Leone national team. Caulker started his profe ...
spoke about his struggles with depression, and his addiction to alcohol and gambling. In February 2018 David Cox stated that he had been mocked by both players and fans for discussing his mental health problems. In March 2018, the UK government announced plans to deal with mental health in professional sports. Later that month, Harry Smith released a statement stating that he was seeking help for mental health and gambling addiction problems. That same month, Danish player Jannik Skov Hansen talked about the depression and suicidal thoughts he had experienced earlier in his career. In April 2018 The Secret Footballer, an anonymous former Premier League player, talked about his depression. In May 2018,
Andrés Iniesta Andrés Iniesta Luján (; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of J1 League club Vissel Kobe. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Iniesta has spent most of hi ...
revealed that he suffered from depression before the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
due to his injuries and the death of his friend
Daniel Jarque Daniel Jarque González (1 January 1983 – 8 August 2009) was a Spanish professional footballer who played as a central defender and spent his entire career with Espanyol. He was named team captain one month before his death from a heart attac ...
. In June 2018, England international Danny Rose stated that he had been diagnosed with depression. In September 2018, professional footballer
Marvin Sordell Marvin Anthony Sordell (born 17 February 1991) is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward. Sordell started his career with Fulham prior to joining Watford for a two-year scholarship in 2007. He made his professional de ...
suggested that clubs should have full-time counsellors to assist players with depression and other mental health issues. When Sordell retired from football in July 2019 he cited his mental health. Later that month
Anthony Knockaert Anthony Patrick Knockaert (born 20 November 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for EFL Championship side Huddersfield Town, on loan from side Fulham. Club career Guingamp Knockaert, who was born in Roubaix, be ...
also revealed his struggles with mental health issues, as did
David Cotterill David Rhys George Best Cotterill (born 4 December 1987) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a winger. Born in Cardiff, Cotterill began his career at Bristol City before signing for Premier League Wigan Athletic where he spent two season ...
. In October 2018,
Michael Carrick Michael Carrick (born 28 July 1981) is an English professional football manager and former player who is currently head coach of Middlesbrough. He is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time and is best known for his 12-year p ...
announced that he had suffered from depression for 2 years following the defeat in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. Later that month Christian Nadé revealed that he had tried to commit suicide in 2014 following struggles with depression. In June 2019, former player
Emmanuel Eboué Emmanuel Eboué (born 4 June 1983) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a right back. Formed at ASEC Mimosas, he moved to Europe to play for Belgium's Beveren in 2002. He spent most of his career, from 2005 to 2011, with A ...
spoke about his ongoing struggles with mental health. In August 2019
Martin Ling Martin Ling (born 15 July 1966) is an English football manager and former player currently director of football for Leyton Orient. He played in over 100 Football League matches for each of Exeter City, Southend United, Swindon Town and Leyto ...
discussed his mental health problems.
Billy Kee Billy Rodney Kee (born 1 December 1990) is a footballer who plays as a forward for side Coalville Town. Born in England, he represented Northern Ireland at under-19 and under-21 youth levels. Early life Kee was born in Loughborough, Leices ...
has spoken publicly about his struggles with anxiety and depression, which led him to considering giving up football. In September 2019 it was revealed that Kee was seeking treatment for depression, anxiety, and bulimia. During that same month, the
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...
announced a scheme in conjunction with mental health charity
Mind The mind is the set of faculties responsible for all mental phenomena. Often the term is also identified with the phenomena themselves. These faculties include thought, imagination, memory, will, and sensation. They are responsible for various m ...
called 'Get Set to Go'. This included a series of street art pieces to raise awareness about mental health. Later that month, Motherwell manager
Stephen Robinson Stephen Kern Robinson (born October 26, 1955) is an American former NASA astronaut. Education He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, where he achieved its second-highest rank, Life Scout. Robinson graduated from Campolindo High Schoo ...
said clubs had a duty of care in relation to players' mental well-being if they were injured. Kee announced his retirement from professional football on 29 January 2020 due to mental health. In October 2019,
Francesco Acerbi Francesco Acerbi (born 10 February 1988) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Inter Milan, on loan from Lazio, and the Italy national team. Until the age of 22, Acerbi played only in the lower tiers of It ...
revealed that during his time with
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
he had suffered from depression following the death of his father, and fell into alcoholism as a result of the loss and his personal struggles. In November 2019
Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...
met with
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
players to discuss the importance of mental health. In December 2019 ex-professional Rhodri Jones spoke out about the pressures that young players face. The kick-offs for all third-round
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
matches over the weekend of 4 and 5 January 2020 were delayed by 60 seconds to promote a film narrated by
Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...
about mental health. That same weekend ex-player
Paul Merson Paul Charles Merson (born 20 March 1968) is an English former professional footballer, manager, commentator and sports television pundit for Sky Sports. Originally a forward, Merson found success as an attacking midfielder and playmaker later ...
spoke about his struggles with mental health. Later that month former player Brian Lenihan revealed that he retired from professional football at the age of 23 mental health issues. For the 2020–21 season, Newport County appointed Kevin Ellison as their 'mental health ambassador'. In June 2018 he has publicly talked about his struggles with depression, giving advice to fellow professionals. In January 2021,
Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league sy ...
captain Ben Tozer spoke about his previous struggles with anxiety, which led him to nearly quitting the game. That same month Jordan Ibe revealed that he was suffering with depression, describing himself as being in a "dark place". In April 2021, Scottish footballer David Cox retired in the middle of a match, leaving the stadium at the half-time break, after alleged comments from opposition player Jonathan Tiffoney related to Cox's mental health. In January 2022,
Josip Iličić Josip Iličić (; born 29 January 1988) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Slovenian PrvaLiga club Maribor. Iličić began his professional career with Slovenian club Bonifika, later also playing for Interblock ...
missed game time due to mental health issues. In February 2022 former players
Chris Sutton Christopher Roy Sutton (born 10 March 1973) is an English former professional football player and manager. He later became a pundit and commentator for BT Sport, regularly working on their coverage of Scottish football. He is now also a pundi ...
and
Micah Richards Micah Lincoln Richards (born 24 June 1988) is an English former professional footballer, sports pundit for Sky Sports and BBC Sport, and as an ambassador of Manchester City. As a player, he was a right back who played in the Premier League and ...
spoke about mental health issues in their playing days. In March 2022,
Paul Pogba Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the France national team. He operates primarily as a central midfielder, but can be deployed as a left winger, attacking midfielder, d ...
said that he had suffered from depression whilst being managed by
Jose Mourinho Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...
at Manchester United during 2018. In May 2022
Dominic Calvert-Lewin Dominic Nathaniel Calvert-Lewin (born 16 March 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Everton and the England national team. Calvert-Lewin began his career at local team Sheffield United, making his seni ...
spoke out about his mental health problems. In October 2022, Steven Reid revealed that he had left his job as Nottingham Forest assistant manager in order to begin studying to qualify as a counsellor. In November 2022,
Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educa ...
and footballers
Harry Kane Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the England national team. A prolific goalscorer with strong link play, Kane is regarded as one of ...
and
Declan Rice Declan Rice (born 14 January 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team. Rice began his professional career at West Ham United, having been re ...
discussed mental health for the BBC, in an effort to raise awareness.


See also

*
Mental health in the Australian Football League Mental health refers to a person's mental state, well-being, and ability to cope with the daily stresses of life. Good mental health also means that one has the ability to be mentally resilient, have a good life balance, having an absence of ment ...


References


Specific


General

* {{Refend
Mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
Mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
Mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...