More and more people are placing a greater emphasis on their mental health, and footballers are no different. Specialized services are available to support players, and these services recently conducted a survey to identify the biggest fears footballers face.
According to a report by the Professional Footballers’ Association, 68% of surveyed players from the Premier League, English Football League, and Women’s Super League cited the fear of injury as the biggest strain on their mental well-being. Additionally, 45% expressed anxiety over their on-field performance, while 41% listed the fear of becoming redundant as a major concern.
Non-football-related issues were also highlighted. Social media bullying was identified as a major issue by 28% of players, while 17% pointed to alcohol misuse, and 15% mentioned gambling as concerns.
Moreover, players have voiced worries about an overloaded schedule, although opinions on this vary.
