England boss Gareth Southgate says he “does have concerns” about the prospect of suffering from dementia as a result of his 18-year playing career.
Sir Bobby Charlton has become the fifth member of England’s 1966 World Cup winners to be diagnosed with dementia – the others have all died since 2018.
Southgate, 50, played as centre-back with Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, winning 57 England caps.
He said: “At my age, having headed a lot of footballs, I do have concerns.”
A study published in 2019 found that ex-professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.
The report, commissioned by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association, compared the deaths of 7,676 former players to 23,000 from the general population.
“In terms of the link, there is research going on,” Southgate added. “That’s a little bit inconclusive at the moment, which is a bit frustrating for everybody because we’d love to have a clear solution.
“Of course it’s a concern for everybody and we have to keep supporting that research. Unfortunately we don’t have all the answers we’d like at the moment.”
Dr Willie Stewart, the neurosurgeon who led the 2019 study, has warned the issue is “not just for older-era footballers but modern-era footballers as well”.
More than 30 former professionals have signed up to a long-term study at the University of East Anglia, which is trying to establish further links between football and dementia.
The Scores study, run by Dr Michael Grey, is trying to “understand brain health in players as they age” and includes former Wales and Norwich City striker Iwan Roberts and former Crystal Palace forward Mark Bright.
But Grey says the study needs more long-term funding and more female footballers involved.
Sixty-nine male players over the age of 40 have signed up to the study, which includes 34 former professionals, but only two females are currently involved.
Women are twice as likely to be affected by dementia than men on a worldwide basis, according to the Alzheimers Society.
Dr Grey said: “We know women suffer the effects of concussion to a greater extent than men across sport, and they are more predisposed to dementia more generally, so it’s really important we get women involved our study.”
