Footie ace put to test on TV
A TV documentary which shows former England footballer Alan Shearer undergoing dementia tests at the University of Stirling will be screened next weekend.
The Newcastle United icon met with experts at the university in April to discover whether heading the ball has left him more at risk of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – a form of dementia linked to boxing.
The 47-year-old scored 46 of his 260 goals from headers and wanted to launch his own investigation into the issue after watching movie Concussion which examined the links between NFL players and the illness.
Researchers from the university last year published a study which identified small but significant changes in brain function immediately after routine heading practice. And Shearer underwent cutting-edge medical screening there which included bio marker blood tests and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to look at how his brain has been affected by his career in the game.
The documentary,‘Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football and Me’, will be shown on BBC One on Sunday November 12 at 10.30pm.
He tweeted:“It has taken over a year but I am proud of what we have done with this documentary, so please watch.”
The programme will see Shearer discuss the issue with footballing legends, past and present, before looking into the latest scientific research and taking his findings to the football authorities.