Manchester United academy graduate and Premier League winner Danny Simpson is campaigning for better treatment for professional players after they retire, with the defender concerned about player welfare in football.
Manchester-born Simpson joined United's academy as a boy and he progressed through the youth ranks to make multiple first-team appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson, playing alongside players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand.
Simpson eventually left Old Trafford in 2010 and he had spells with Newcastle and Queens Park Rangers before joining Leicester City, where he would make 30 starts in their remarkable, history-making Premier League winning season in 2015/2016.
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Simpson signed for Huddersfield in 2019 after leaving the King Power Stadium and he most recently played for Bristol City, but left the Championship club by mutual consent in March earlier this year after being sidelined with an injury.
The 35-year-old has not retired, he's currently searching for the right club to join, and during this period it has struck him that there is such little support for professional players who are in their later years, or who are simply without a club.
Simpson wants that to change, as he believes many players struggle with the mental health aspect of leaving a sport that has sustained them since childhood, with some becoming heavily involved with Premier League clubs from their early teens.
The average playing life of a professional player is eight years and Simpson has begun talks with the Premier League about better support away from the pitch, but he's keen to raise further awareness about the issue, which can affect mental health.
“Players are faced with a lot of issues when they come out of the game as it is the only thing they have known,” Simpson said.
"They have training routines and a network that suddenly is not there anymore and that is tough. Clubs have got better at caring for players, but in the 20 years I’ve been in the game, when I’ve left teams I’ve not had many phone calls about how I am coping.
“That aspect of the game is not great. Fortunately, I’ve got good mates and family and keep in touch with team-mates but I have bad days. There’s a huge sense of loss when you are not part of a club suddenly and it is difficult to know what to do.
“There is a lot of anxiety and depression in footballers who retire. I’ve got a group of mates who are former players and we try to support each other but it is clear that is more that needs to be done.”
Research has shown that 33% of professional footballers are divorced within a year of retirement and studies have revealed that elite sports people suffer from a loss of identity at the end of elite careers and struggle with a lack of routine.
Many careers are cut short by injuries and some before they have been able to secure finances that will last long-term.
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