FORMER NEWCASTLE STAR and England captain Alan Shearer has revealed his fears that he may be at risk of dementia from heading footballs during his playing days.
The Match of the Day pundit has accused football’s bosses of trying to ignore fears that there is a direct link between heading and dementia in later life. He added that they don’t conduct the necessary research of offer according supports.
The 47-year-old is the Premier League’s record goalscorer with 260 goals to his name.
With stints under his belt at Southampton and Blackburn also, he’s headed one in five of his 260 goals and having practiced over and over in training, he fears for what lies ahead.
“For every goal I scored with a header during a game, I must have practised it 1,000 times in training,” Shearer told the Daily Mirror.
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“That must put me at risk if there is a link.”
“There are pictures of me playing with blood pouring down my face. They’d put stitches in, you headed the ball again and they came out.”
He continues: “Nowhere near enough research has been done. The authorities have been very reluctant to find out any answers. They have swept it under the carpet, which is not good enough.
“Football must look after old players with dementia and put an end to this sense that once you are done playing, you can be put on the scrapheap.
“It’s a tough game, it’s a brilliant game, but we have to make sure it’s not a killer game.”
Shearer has looked at the effects of heading the ball in a new BBC documentary called ‘Dementia, Football and Me,’ which airs on Sunday according to the Mirror.
In doing so, he went through several tests and procedures to uncover results.
“The tests were pretty nerve-wracking,” he continues. “I have got a terrible memory. I don’t know if that is because I don’t listen, but I have got a poor memory.
“When you play football as a professional you expect in later life you are going to have problems with your knees, your ankles, or you back, like I have.
“But never did I think playing football could be linked to having a brain disease. That is why the research has to be done.”
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Alan Shearer slams football authorities over dementia fears from heading footballs
FORMER NEWCASTLE STAR and England captain Alan Shearer has revealed his fears that he may be at risk of dementia from heading footballs during his playing days.
The Match of the Day pundit has accused football’s bosses of trying to ignore fears that there is a direct link between heading and dementia in later life. He added that they don’t conduct the necessary research of offer according supports.
The 47-year-old is the Premier League’s record goalscorer with 260 goals to his name.
With stints under his belt at Southampton and Blackburn also, he’s headed one in five of his 260 goals and having practiced over and over in training, he fears for what lies ahead.
“For every goal I scored with a header during a game, I must have practised it 1,000 times in training,” Shearer told the Daily Mirror.
“That must put me at risk if there is a link.”
“There are pictures of me playing with blood pouring down my face. They’d put stitches in, you headed the ball again and they came out.”
“Football must look after old players with dementia and put an end to this sense that once you are done playing, you can be put on the scrapheap.
“It’s a tough game, it’s a brilliant game, but we have to make sure it’s not a killer game.”
Shearer has looked at the effects of heading the ball in a new BBC documentary called ‘Dementia, Football and Me,’ which airs on Sunday according to the Mirror.
In doing so, he went through several tests and procedures to uncover results.
“The tests were pretty nerve-wracking,” he continues. “I have got a terrible memory. I don’t know if that is because I don’t listen, but I have got a poor memory.
“When you play football as a professional you expect in later life you are going to have problems with your knees, your ankles, or you back, like I have.
“But never did I think playing football could be linked to having a brain disease. That is why the research has to be done.”
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