FEARS FOR 62 MORE PREM STARS
Lennon not alone...10% of top players need help
FOOTBALL chiefs revealed yesterday that 62 Premier League stars have sought help for mental health problems in the last year.
The shock figure means one in 10 of all top-flight players feels pushed to the brink like Everton winger Aaron Lennon.
FOOTBALL chiefs revealed 62 Premier League stars sought help for mental health problems last year.
It represents about 10% of the 20 top flight teams’ squads. Another 98 former players also contacted a hotline set up by the Professional Footballers’ Association to assist with mental health issues. Everton winger Aaron Lennon, 30, has continued to undergo treatment for a stress-related illness after he was detained by police under the Mental Health Act. He was picked up next to the M602 in Salford on Sunday over concerns about his state of mind. After 20 minutes of negotiations, he was taken to hospital. The incident happened an hour after Everton’s 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Goodison Park about 35 miles away. Lennon was not involved in the game and has not played since February. His plight triggered support from sports stars across Britain. The PFA said last night it had provided a service to help with footballers’ well-being since 2012, including a 24-hour phoneline and access to a psychiatrist.
The players’ union employs more than 100 counsellors to help combat conditions including depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Head of welfare Michael Bennett said: “Last year we had 160, of which 62 were current players and 98 were former players. That is growing year on year. Key for me is making our members aware of what is in place and the more we raise awareness, the more people will use the service.
“It is a male mindset that it is seen as a weakness, so for people like Clarke Carlisle, Rio Ferdinand – even Prince Harry – to talk about their own experience brings the taboo down.”
Former England ace Paul Gascoigne has also battled depression.
Carlisle, who played with Lennon at Leeds, and has had his own mental health issues, said: “He has got to the crisis point that I hit. But he has now entered the support system and has the opportunity to address what is going on, rehabilitate himself and live a full and blessed life.”