‘Football doesn’t deal well with mental health issues’ – ex-England star David James on life after the spotlight dims
Former star goalkeeper in action in Hong Kong for Playon Pros, representing an organisation devoted to supporting players when they return to ‘real world’
Former England international goalkeeper David James is in Hong Kong this week competing at the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens. The 46-year-old is representing Playon Pros, who are making their debut at the tournament.
Playon is an organisation that was founded by a group of former players that aims to support footballers after they retire from the sport.
Figures from world football players’ union Fifpro indicate that up to 35 per cent of professional footballers suffer from mental health issues after retiring from the game.
The Post asked James about how he handled his departure from football and whether he believes more should be done to safeguard players when their careers end.
What are the main challenges that retired players face?
It depends why you retire. The ideal way is through your own choice, but that’s not a luxury that many players actually get for one reason or another. You tend to find that injury is a big reason for players retiring and even now, as a player that didn’t get too many injuries, having to deal with the fact that you’re not as physically capable as you used to be ... I had an operation on my knee which curtailed my career. There’s a difference between what your head thinks you can do and what you can actually do. Even though I didn’t have a major injury, it was coming to terms with the fact that I couldn’t do what I used to do. Another hard one is coming to terms with the fact that nobody wants you anymore. That usually comes with longevity. You get to the point where you’re not as good as you were. When you get older nobody wants to take a chance on you.