me's 'hypeasculine' cultue of silence

Wheeler's study includes testimony from 10 elite managers who have worked with national teams, Premier League or EFL clubs. He spoke with them about football's apparent reluctance to fully embrace psychological support메이저놀이터

One manager described a "lack of honesty in football" that sees "players struggling because they don't want to be seen as struggling", adding: "You've still got the archaic mentality that it's weakness."

It's something Wheeler encountered himself during a career that started at Lewes in 2007 and has included stints at Staines Town, Exeter City, Portsmouth, MK Dons and QPR in addition to his current spell with Wycombe. He paints a vivid picture of how a macho dressing room atmosphere can affect mentality.

"I've experienced something pretty close to the best you could find, I'd imagine, in the Football League, and I've also experienced something pretty toxic as well and the difference is quite stark," he says.

"There were times where it's안전놀이터 been so bad that I dreaded going in every day. It wasn't a positive place to be and I just didn't want to be there.

"On multiple occasions in my career I've watched as players almost sleepwalk themselves into a pretty dangerous situation where they're not fit to play a match, but they end up playing because they don't want to give up their spot in the team.

"It's like a cauldron of pressure at times, especially when the manager might be under pressure. I think the lack of a sports psychologist presence feeds into the stigma and taboo of it [psychological support].

"If you celebrated it and you had [a psychologist] as a permanent fixture, it would be like the manager almost saying: 'We've got someone on our team, so if you're having any issues go to them and be open about it. It won't get back to me if you don't want it to and it's not going to affect me selecting you.'

"By not having someone, it's almost saying either we먹튀검증 don't value the players' mental health highly, or you're saying: 'I'd rather not know about it, so if you need it, go and find it elsewhere.' I think both are concerning, in different ways."

Wheeler's research recommends mandating Premier League and Championship clubs to employ an accredited, full-time psychologist. He notes that the cost of doing so - a 2018 study estimated between £27,000 and £100,000 a year, depending on experience - shouldn't be prohibitive for teams in either division.

But he also believes that clubs can take other steps - such as encouraging players to step outside of the football 'bubble'.

"I think [change] comes from celebrating individuality and promoting people to explore their personality and develop their character, over and above just being a footballer," he says.

"A lot of the scenarios I've witnessed where people get into a spiral of anxiety, depression, gambling or eating disorders often stem from having a very narrow idea of who you are.

"That narrow idea is defined사설토토사이트 as a footballer, first and foremost, and sometimes solely. So, once that's not going well, then that's everything."