Talking a good game
FURTHERING his man of the people image, Prince William fronts this candid conversation about mental health. With access to the Duke of Cambridge over a year, he meets football players, fans and managers from grassroots to the elite, in an effort to start big conversations through the beautiful game.
He says: “Why do we still have a taboo and a stigma about mental health? We’ve got to be more open and more able to talk about stuff, stuff that really matters, before you start damaging your relationships and your work life and everything around you.”
The men come from all walks of life, from former England goalkeeper Joe Hart, who has been forced to cope with a very public decline in his career and is now struggling to get into the first team at Burnley, to a group of bereaved fathers who use their local football team as a support network and safe space to talk.
Former Premier League footballer Marvin Sordell opens up about his struggles with depression and Aston Villa centre back and England defender Tyrone Mings talks about the pressures of living and performing in the public eye playing top level football.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard opens up to the Duke about how as a player he was “stuck in the stone age” when it came to mental health and how there’s still a long way to go in how it’s dealt with at clubs.
“It’s about feeling confident enough to have that first conversation,” says Prince William.
“It’s ok to not be ok.”