SPORTSMAIL’S CAMPAIGN TOTACKLE DEMENTIA

under him for ten years, years so to see him towards the end, it’s emotional and upsetting. But that’s what dementia does and why it is so devastating. It strips you of your personality, all the traits that make you the man you are. It leaves you a shell.

‘That’s what I saw with Jack and my dad. I saw dad become visibly confused and frightened in front of me. It’s not nice when your own dad doesn’t know who you are. That’s very, very sad.’

That is Townsend’s motivation for sharing his own experience and supporting Sportsmail’s dementia campaign. He wants to protect future generations, be that footballers or their families.

He and his dad had many conversations about heading footballs. The evidence of a link between that and dementia, he says, cannot be ignored any longer.

‘ Dad would tell me about throwing himself at the ball to head it clear,’ he said. ‘He’d say that many a time he couldn’t see straight for a few seconds. He was seeing stars and could barely focus.

‘ We have now r eached a watershed moment, something needs to be done within football. I’ve seen Sportsmail’s campaign and Chris Sutton’s work.

‘ Football owes i t to future generations of players to ensure they stay healthy and enjoy their retirement, that they can enjoy their grandchildren.

‘ How you achieve that is difficult. I don’t want heading taken out of the game, it would be unrecognisable. But can we do less of it in training? Yes. Is there scope for protective headgear in training? I think so. Boxers wear a headguard for sparring.

‘It needs serious investigation. Football is an important part of society now. During lockdown, we missed it so much. Then it comes back and we’re so thankful. So we have to make sure that those people we enjoy on TV, their long-term future is taken care of.’

Finding Jack Charlton is out now on DVD and digital download.