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Three former players and ex-referee Mike Dean shared an open and honest discussion about footballers’ mental health live on Sky Sports.
After Burnley manager Vincent Kompany confirmed Lyle Foster is receiving specialist treatment for his mental health, the Sky pundits discussed the improving provision for players and the struggle they face after retiring.
Dean, who stepped down from officiating in 2022, told the story of Tranmere Rovers goalkeeper Scott Davies, who first spoke on A Trip To The Moon podcast earlier this month. Davies retired in January 2022.
“I’m very good friends with Scott Davies, the former Tranmere goalkeeper,” Dean, a Rovers fan, said. “When Scott finished at Tranmere with an Achilles injury, all he’s done for 15-20 years is play football. He finished, didn’t know what to do with his life, tried to do something away from football and couldn’t do it.
“He turned to drink – he’s only in his early 30s – and sat on a motorway bridge for two hours thinking of jumping off because he didn’t know what to do with himself when he finished football. He didn’t have no idea, didn’t know where to get help.
“Luckily enough he had a good group of friends around him near where he lives, went to Sporting Chance [clinic], recovered luckily enough and now has taken up a job as Fleetwood Town’s under-18s and under-21s goalkeeper [coach].
“When all you’ve done is play football for so long you don’t know what to do when you finish. He was in such a bad place. He kept it in to himself because he didn’t want to admit he was in trouble, but in the end he had to otherwise he wouldn’t have been here.”
Paul Merson, who has shared his own mental health journey publicly, said that footballers are as prone to struggling as much as anyone – but that support is improving.
“Fair play to the clubs,” he said, especially of Lyle Foster’s treatment. “They pay a lot of money for these people and pay them a lot of wages, but at the same time they think of the person. Fair play to the lad [Foster], he could have easily held that in.
“People understand now: this takes anybody, mental health takes anybody. Because you earn a lot of money, play the best game in the world and have the best job in the world, it doesn’t mean you’re not going to be ill.
“I’ve been there too many times. I wish him all the best and he’s very, very brave for what he’s done to come out [and have his treatment confirmed publicly]. There will be a lot of people out there behind their silly keyboards in their bedrooms with the curtains pulled going: ‘It’s a disgrace, this and that.’ Don’t listen to those people; they’re lemons.”
Former Palace forward Clinton Morrison concurred, stressing that figures like Merson opening up has a positive impact on other ex-professionals.
He said: “You do suffer – when you finish football you do suffer and I suffered massively, but I never came out and spoke about it. But then I did come out because I felt comfortable because he [Merson] was talking about it, and it’s something you can engage with.
“That’s why me and him have such a good relationship: I know what he’s been through and know I can speak to him about things and he’ll always pick up the phone. I’ve said it many times – I’ll pick up the phone, he’ll pick up the phone, twice a week we’ll chat, have a talk to see how each other are.
“That’s what you’ve got to do, pick up the phone and see how people are. There are always people out there to help you. Don’t listen to the lemons on social media; they haven’t a clue.”
More mental health stories
‘Check in on those around you’ – Norwich City post powerful video on World Mental Health Day.
Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson has candidly opened up to 2,500 schoolchildren on his own mental health struggles and how a resilient mindset has helped him.
Meanwhile, former footballer and Sky Sports presenter Chris Kamara has urged people not to suffer in silence with their mental health. And Mark Hughes has insisted that mental health is key for footballers when it comes to dealing with the game’s highs and lows.
