The Struggle with Mental Health in the EFL
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Everton supporters display solidarity for their loanee, Dele Alli.
The Hidden Battles of EFL Players
In recent times the mental health topic has really come around leaps and bounds. It’s a great thing as well. The amount of pressure the players put themselves in, not to mention the rigorous training schedules for the whole week takes its toll on a human mind.
Then there are the behind-the-scenes episodes in personal lives that the fans don’t even know of. It is tough being a professional football player especially if you are playing for clubs that are not top-division clubs.
Scarce Resources in Lower League Clubs
It is not rocket science that clubs that are part of the EFL are not as rich or full of resources as the Premier League Clubs. The clubs especially in League One and League Two have a shoestring budget to work with.
There is a possibility that these clubs do not even have the provision of hiring a counsellor to help the players. The players are on their own when it comes to their mental health in lower leagues.
The wages these players get in the lower divisions, making it tough for them to find a counsellor on their own. It is an expensive process.
There was a study made by the Independent in 2019 that only 37% of the clubs in the English Football system employed staff that had relevant training. That is an incredibly poor statistic. Of course, it is 2023 now and the number of clubs that hire staff with relevant training may have increased but it still is alarming how clubs ignore such a vital program.
The Monetary Equation of Mental Health
The players that play in the EFL are already on lower wages as compared to the top leagues. That is an important factor that affects their thinking and ultimately mental health. Lower-league players get just about enough wages to make it through. It’s not just football but in every aspect of life, money is a huge factor that affects you mentally.
Then there are injuries, players go into depression and develop anxiety with long-term injuries. Rehabilitation is tough and takes a lot of mental strength to get through it.
Good counselling and support help in quicker recovery but players need good counselling to get through such a difficult phase.
Case Studies: When Talent Gets Overshadowed by Mental Struggles
There are so many examples of mental health problems in players that you cannot list them all. We’ll try to list a few famous ones.
Dele Alli is the most recent one. That boy has gone through issues we can only imagine. The fact that he was abused during his childhood and had no support growing up says a lot about the footballing community as a whole.
The former MK Dons star has struggled with mental issues for the last 3 years. Alli’s career which showed so much promise during his early years at Tottenham Hotspurs has come crashing down. He was a star for both Spurs and England. But he has struggled to cope with his mental side for the past few years.
Michael Johnson, remember the bright talent at pre-Abu Dhabi Manchester City. Another kid with the world at his feet. Another kid who failed to reach his potential due to mental issues. Johnson stated several times that he had severe anxiety while playing.
Johnson knew how good he was but he was still afraid to be judged and for everything to fall apart. With proper counselling and help, he might have defeated his issues but no timely help arrived and no one noticed Johnson’s mental problems. A promising career was lost because of mental health.
Adriano, Yup that Brazilian powerhouse with 99 power on winning eleven. He was on the verge of being world-class or he was probably there as a player but his father’s death derailed a career that promised so much both domestically and internationally. Adriano went into depression after his father’s death and despite support from his fellow players, he never got proper counseling for his deteriorating mental health.
An unnamed Ipswich Town player once accused the club of not providing a proper Physiotherapist for his rehabilitation. The player who was 16 at the time dealt with a back injury that started hindering his career.
The physiotherapist he worked with never solved his back issues and that led to the player having mental issues due to continuous back issues.
To end on a dark note, Robert Enke, former goalkeeper of Hannover 96 took his own life due to depression.
EFL clubs need to provide properly trained mental health staff for their players. Be it a physiotherapist or a Psychiatrist. In modern times, there is an even greater need for mental health awareness.
MIND and EFL: A Step Towards Mental Well-being
In an encouraging move recently from the EFL, they got into a partnership with Mind(a Mental Health Awareness organisation) that helps the players in the EFL and raise awareness about mental health.
Mind provides all the help needed to the players. The partnership with EFL started in 2018 and it was for a duration of four years. As of 2023, it is unknown if the partnership was extended or not. If it is extended it will be great for the EFL as the organisation also helps in raising donations and funds to help the players that suffer from mental health issues.
