Former Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has opened up about mental health issues in football and called on people to take action over the rise in anxiety and depression.
Hector Bellerin believes more needs to be done to tackle mental health issues in football after overcoming his own struggles with Arsenal.
The Spaniard ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and subsequently suffered a series of hamstring problems that caused him to miss most of 2019. It turned out to be a difficult time for Bellerin, who suffered from mental health, which resulted in him going out and drinking.
Bellerin regained his fitness and started the final against Chelsea at Wembley in August 2020, helping the Gunners win the FA Cup. He left the Gunners on loan in January 2022 and completed a permanent move to Barcelona the following summer, ending an 11-year spell in north London.
Now in his second spell at Real Betis, Bellerin is once again enjoying his football, but he recognizes that there are many fellow professionals who are not having the best time. PFA research shows that one in 10 players experience depression or anxiety each year, and the number of current and former players coming forward seeking help is growing.
talk to mirror football, Bellerin has now sent an impassioned message to authorities, insisting more needs to be done to address mental health issues in the game. “For me, the time for raising awareness is over,” said the Spain international. “It’s about time we do something.
“Here in Spain, my old teammate Victor Camaraza, playing in the second division, has taken a break from the game due to his mental health. This has set a precedent in Spain and is still happening.”Basketball , Gymnastics, I think our life is very difficult.
“People excuse it with the money we make…We travel a lot, we play a lot, we get beat up every game, we come home with bruised legs, we have surgery on our legs, we get concussions. I had everything.”
While it’s true that many top-level soccer players are financially sound and earn more than the average adult, Bellerin insists that doesn’t mean they are exempt.
He added: “People say, ‘Oh, you make a lot of money.’ But that doesn’t mean it’s hard, right? As a footballer, family life is hard, and as a footballer, the pressure is a lot. No one wants to talk about it.” “It’s because we make a lot of money. They think that’s an excuse for us to be treated like something other than human beings sometimes.” will always be on the side of humanity,” Bellerin added.
“We’ve been going through this since we were young, so it’s normal that when you get to a certain age it’s harder to deal with it. Every year there are more games, more competition, more pressure, players… Become better,”
He added: “Mental health is important and it starts with treating us as human beings, no matter how much money we make. “It’s time to take these conversations into the dressing room and make it mandatory for clubs. “It was,” he said. If psychologists spent hours working on our mental health, it would help our football.
“All footballers know how much their hearts and minds go into their performance. So we should try to create an atmosphere because pressure is part of our mental health as footballers.”
Bellerin, who made 239 appearances for Arsenal, could next feature when Betis face Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa Conference League. Betis currently sit sixth in La Liga, eight points behind fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Bellerin has started each of the last four games, including last Friday’s win over Cadiz.
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