'My brain is my strongest and weakest tool' The growing importance of mental health in football
| Published date | 21 August 2021 |
| Publication title | Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England) |
“For anyone saying I quit, I didn’t quit, my mind and body are simply not in sync as you can see here,” she wrote on Instagram. “I don’t think you realise how dangerous this is on a hard/competition surface.
"Nor do I have to explain why I put health first. Physical health is mental health.”
Biles reflected several growing trends, as more and more sporting superstars talk openly -usually on their own social media channels -about the importance of mental health to their profession in an attempt to see it recognised by more people and to get across their own thoughts and feelings over the top of the millions creating noise as they sit and judge from their armchairs.
It was no surprise to see high-profile footballers among those in support of "a moment of undeniable strength" from Biles, as Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba put it. Football may not have been the quickest to acknowledge mental health but it is becoming more and more important to the current generation of players.
Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings said recently he had no shame in admitting that his mental health 'plummeted' this summer as he stepped into the shoes of injured United defender Harry Maguire at the start of the European Championship as he fretted that the public didn't rate him.
With scrutiny on professionals greater than ever with the increasing prevalence of social media and after a year that many people have spent a large part of being unable to leave their homes, it was both sad and inevitable to see racist abuse aimed at three black England footballers after they missed penalties in the final of the European Championship.
Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka have both spoken of their appreciation at the support that followed, but incidents such as these highlight the discrimination that still exists for black players and the importance of looking after mental health.
Daniel Belgrave decided to try to break the perception of therapists being stereotypically white, middle-aged women when he qualified into the industry, and as a young, black man with knowledge of the football industry felt he could help a group of people whose human side is often forgotten.
"For years, I've seen the racism on one side and what all the...
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