Mental health in professional soccer has a been a major talking point in recent years. Players are constantly under pressure to maintain peak physical condition, perform consistently and navigate the ups and downs of their careers. Away from the pitch, players also struggle to balance their professional and personal lives. It is essential to recognise the human side of the players and provide them with guidance and support they need to cope with the pressures of elite sport. By embracing a holistic approach that integrates education and support the football community can foster a more conductive environment for the well-being of players.
A notable example of a professional footballer who openly discussed his struggles with Depression and Anxiety is Marcus Rashford, an English player who plays as a forward for Manchester United and his national team. Rashford has openly discussed his experiences with mental health issues. He spoke about the pressure of being a young footballer in the limelight. The following article written by Matthew Smith discusses Marcus Rashford’s challenges with mental health: https://www.caughtoffside.com/2022/10/30/manchester-united-star-opens-up-on-mental-health-struggles/ Rashford had struggled to find consistent form over the last few years. The England international went from being a regular for his club and country to more of a squad player, but that has certainly changed this season. Rashford has been excellent for Manchester United and will be in Gareth Southgate’s mind ahead of the World Cup in November. The boyhood Mancunian has opened up on why he believes his form has improved, and how its negatively affected him in recent years. “I think to be honest it is a complete different energy around the club and training ground. that puts me in a better headspace and I feel really motivated. I struggled mentally and with things off the pitch. That’s the biggest difference,” said Rashford, as relayed by the Daily Mail. Rashford is now going through one of his best spells of form in the last few years and has even kept Cristiano Ronaldo out of the team at times, playing in a more central role than previously. His versatility makes him a really useful option for Manchester United, and his performances are picking up especially under Erik ten Hag. To openly admit you’ve suffered mentally is a brave thing to do, so Rashford deserves huge credit for speaking out.
Another article written by Liam Davies discusses Marcus Rashford’s struggle with mental health: https://medium.com/@liam.davies6/mental-health-in-mens-football-an-inexplorable-problem-or-an-ameliorating-concern-f0623170b70f
The environment football players find themselves in nowadays is nothing short of stressful. The pressure to deliver week on week is intangible and the emotional barrier that they put up to contest the relentless resentment and hatred on a daily basis is mind-blowing. And what must it do for their mental health? Well, just ask Manchester United and England star, Marcus Rashford. The 26-year-old opened up on his mental struggles last year, following a change in form off the back of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and a new celebration that came along with it. On his battle, the forward said: “I was struggling at times with more mental things. It wasn’t really my own performance, but other things off the pitch. That’s the biggest difference from last season. “Too often last season, I wasn’t in the right headspace for games. I wasn’t surprised by some of the stuff that was happening.” After scoring, the number 10 points to his temple as a way of signifying his new-found mental health prioritisation and how that has been his key to success in recent times.
Players have slowly begun to speak out about their mental health challenges and the stigma around men’s mental health in football has started to break. Rashford, a highly influential figure, seems to have paved the path for others by speaking out about his struggles. In recent months, more and more players have been empowered to open up about their personal battles. Clubs and organisations are doing more and more each week to try and combat men’s mental health and it must persist as, sadly, it seems mental health struggle is inevitable; an unstoppable and devastating force that many will encounter at one point or another in their lifetime. The rise of awareness campaigns and charities and the increase in support networks in football over the last few decades have been impactful however, opening the door to an improved and ameliorated mind and headspace, helping to guide many of our role models out of a dark and harmful place. The stigma is breaking and will continue to so long as there is accessibility to help, and the players feel they can speak out about their problems. They are only human after all. Addressing mental health issues in football requires a multifaceted approach. Adopting a comprehensive approach that combines education, support and policy development, the football community can work together to create a healthier environment for players’ mental health. Heads together and the Football Association have partnered up to run a campaign to change the conversation about mental health. Signatories representing clubs, leagues, and organisations across the whole of the UK football family have signed the Mentally Healthy Football declaration which will see football recognising that mental health is just as important as physical health. Football is a team game, and for the first time there is a collective ‘game plan’ to ensure the mental health of players, staff, managers, coaches, and officials is prioritised across the sport. The declaration is a commitment from the game to continue to raise awareness on mental health, and to embed an environment in the UK where players, staff, managers and officials are able to spot signs that someone they know might be struggling and are encouraged to look after their mental health just as they do their physical health. The UK football family will build on the important work that clubs and football organisations are already doing, working together to scale up these efforts across the football system and support the development of ‘mentally healthy clubs’ at every level of the game. https://www.headstogether.org.uk/heads-up/. It’s our national game – passionately loved and followed by millions of people in the UK. So many of us don’t go a day without talking about football, and it’s time that the same can be said for mental health. That’s why we’ve launched Heads Up with The FA – a new campaign using football to change the game on mental health. We want to encourage more men to feel comfortable talking about their mental health and feel able to support their friends and families through difficult times. After launching in 2019, we’ve taken the Heads-Up campaign across the country and spoken to players, fans, and managers about how we can all come together to change the conversation on mental health through football. On the 1st of August we’ll be celebrating the culmination of the campaign with the Heads-Up FA Cup Final and a week of activity ensuring that, now more than ever, mental health is at the forefront of the game both for players and fans.
Campaigns like these are a fantastic way to raise awareness and educate people about mental health in professional football. The Heads up campaign creates a supportive and inclusive environment in the football community, where people feel empowered to seek help and support for their mental health requirements. It promotes well-being in the football community.
Citations in MLA format:
1. Caught Offside. Matthew Smith “Manchester United Star Opens Up on Mental Health Struggles.” Caught Offside, 30 Oct. 2022, https://www.caughtoffside.com/2022/10/30/manchester-united-star-opens-up-on-mental-health-struggles/.
2. Davies, Liam. “Mental Health in Men’s Football: An Inexplorable Problem or an Ameliorating Concern?” Medium, 17 Jan 2024, https://medium.com/@liam.davies6/mental-health-in-mens-football-an-inexplorable-problem-or-an-ameliorating-concern-f0623170b70f.
3. Heads Together. “Heads Up.” Heads Together, 2019 https://www.headstogether.org.uk/heads-up/.
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