I never had fears over injuries when heading a football

The notion I could damage my health by heading a football was never something that concerned me when I was a player – and it doesn’t worry me as a parent today.

I’d stress I don’t have any professional medical knowledge with regard to the subject matter, so I’m not qualified to have an opinion on whether or not it’s detrimental to a person’s physical or mental wellbeing in the long-term.

During my playing career, no one in football ever told me not to head the ball or that it was potentially dangerous.

When I was playing in the USA with San Diego Spirit, a company called ‘Full 90’ brought out a padded headband which a few of the girls wore to prevent head injuries.

It wasn’t for me though as I felt it would have had a negative impact on how I headed the ball. That was always a massive part of my game and something I worked on a lot so I didn’t want a headband getting in the way.

That was in season 2002/03 and the only time I ever recall the issue being discussed.

I’ve always enjoyed heading the ball, right back to when I started playing at a high level as a teenager.

I was a tall striker so I was expected to be good at it and a lot of my goals came that way. Every player is taught to use their best physical attributes to their advantage and I worked hard on that aspect of my game.

But I have had numerous concussions and head injuries during my career. It could happen during games and intense training sessions when you’d be doing heading drills and set-pieces but I always saw that as an occupational hazard, not that much different from an ankle knock or a strained hamstring.

As they have banned heading for the Under-10s in the States, you could say it will naturally encourage kids to keep the ball on the ground and develop more of a passing game.

I don’t think kids particularly enjoy heading the ball anyway. It used to be the case that the keeper would punt the ball up the pitch. But now at kids and youth level, goalies are encouraged to play the ball out to feet and I expect there will be natural decline in heading in years to come.

That said, if it was eradicated completely, it would strip away an exciting dimension for players and supporters alike.

There is little better than seeing a winger hit the goal-line before firing over a cross that the striker powers into the net with their head. I would hate to see that aspect taken away.

Heading was always a massive part of my game, something that I worked on a lot