Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge admits dementia and Alzheimer’s are a growing concern for players of his generation as the “damage has been done”.
The 65-year-old said a number of Anfield greats who had died in recent years had shown signs of being affected and there were currently four “proper Liverpool legends” having problems with the conditions.
One of those is former captain Ron Yeats, aged 86, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s five years ago.
Aldridge himself has undergone tests but admits there is little he can do at this stage of his life.
“The damage has been done,” he told the PA news agency.
“I headed the ball as much as anyone else, I just used to love heading the ball, practising every day.
“We trained with the heavier balls and we’d stay behind after training and head it 50 or 60 times.
“I’ve had some problems myself and I had some tests. But I’m not worried about myself as much as worried about my family because we’ve all seen what these illnesses do to the people around you who suffer more.”
This week legal teams representing more than a dozen players, including the family of England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles who died with dementia in 2020, appeared in the High Court in London for the first hearing in their claims against the Football Association, the English Football League, the Football Association of Wales and the International Football Association Board for brain injuries allegedly suffered during their careers.
Lawyers for the Stiles family have previously claimed the sporting bodies did not take adequate action to reduce heading the ball in training and during matches.
Aldridge was one of a number of former Liverpool players who last month helped launch the new LFC Memories app, part-funded by the LFC Foundation, which uses sights and sounds from the club’s illustrious history to help fans living with dementia and is the first of its kind to be developed directly with a professional football club.
But the ex-Republic of Ireland striker, who scored 60 goals across the 1987-88 and 88-89 seasons for the Reds, said some of the club’s greats were struggling themselves.
“It seems of the lads that have passed away from the 50s, 60s and some 70s who were my heroes, 70 to 80 per cent had dementia or Alzheimer’s problems as well as the illness that took them,” he said.
“We’ve got four ex-players and proper Liverpool legends who have problems with it now. These are people who made Liverpool great and why we are where we are.”
Aldridge is chairman of the former players’ association Forever Reds, which raised £75,000 for ex-footballers and local good causes with a Christmas dinner attended by 500 guests at Anfield last month.
“We help our ex-players in any way we can. We are doing it now with two great players of the past,” he said.
Fiorentina 2-2 Napoli: Kvaratskhelia keeps visitors' slim European hopes alive
Dethroned Italian champions Napoli's hopes of playing European football next season are hanging by a thread after they played out a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Friday.
Napoli took the lead in the eighth minute through defender Amir Rrahmani, who nodded home a corner by Matteo Politano.
Cristiano Biraghi levelled for Fiorentina in the 40th minute from a free-kick, before M'Bala Nzola put the hosts in front two minutes later when he fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia responded with another stunning free-kick early in the second half to rescue a point for his team.
Eighth-placed Fiorentina, on 54 points and with a game in hand, are five points behind Lazio in seventh.
They can still earn a Europa League spot either by leapfrogging the Rome side or by winning the Europa Conference League final in which they face Greece's Olympiakos on May 29.
Ninth-placed Napoli, on 52 points, still have a slim chance of making the Europa Conference League playoffs.
Data Debrief
Fiorentina left-back Biraghi has now scored six goals from direct free-kicks since the start of 2021-22, which is behind only James Ward-Prowse (seven) - now of West Ham and formerly of Southampton - as the most across Europe's top five leagues in that period.
Kvaratskhelia also levelled via a direct free-kick, making this the first Serie A match in which both teams scored via that route since Fiorentina against Lazio in April 2018 (Jordan Veretout and Luis Alberto in that case).
Southampton 3-1 West Brom (3-1 agg): Saints set up play-off final with Leeds United
Southampton saw off West Brom 3-1 at St Mary's on Friday to set up a Championship play-off final showdown with Leeds United.
Leeds thumped Norwich City 4-0 at Elland Road 24 hours earlier to book their place at Wembley, where Southampton now await on May 26.
The first leg between the Saints and West Brom finished goalless - just like the other semi-final - but the home side's quality told in the end.
Russell Martin's side dominated the first-half possession, with David Brooks going closest to scoring with a shot that hit the outside of the post.
Southampton made the breakthrough via a powerful Will Smallbone finish four minutes into the second half after Gray Diangana lost possession.
Darnell Furlong had a shot helped over by Alex McCarthy, while David Brooks - who assisted the opener - had a strong penalty appeal rejected.
Southampton remained in control, though, and Adam Armstrong scored a second with a shot through Furlong's legs and past Alex Palmer.
Armstrong's second goal arrived from the penalty spot in the 86th minute after Tom Fellows fouled Ryan Manning in the box, rendering Cedric Kipre's late header a mere consolation.
Marc Skinner signs Manchester United Women contract extension
Marc Skinner has signed a one-year contract extension as Manchester United Women head coach with the option of a further 12 months.
The 41-year-old guided United to their first major silverware last weekend with victory over Tottenham in the Women's FA Cup final.
United are fifth in the Women's Super League with one game to go - a massive drop on last term's runners-up finish - but Skinner will stay on.
"It's an honour to extend my stay at Manchester United," Skinner, who was appointed in 2021, told United's official website after the news was confirmed on Friday.
"I've always felt at home here, with our excellent players, staff, and fans.
"Being able to secure the team's first major trophy at Wembley was a real career highlight for me and another sign of our continued growth, on and off the field."
United conclude their campaign on Saturday against Chelsea, who lead Manchester City on goal difference entering the final day.
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