[6][7] Argentine footballer Mirko Šarić committed suicide by hanging in April 2000, after suffering with depression which was reportedly worsened by the fact that his girlfriend at the time had gotten pregnant by another man.
[8] During the first part of the 2000–01 season with Everton, Paul Gascoigne struggled with depression after losing his place in the first team following a series of injuries and a lack of fitness.
[21][22] American former player Landon Donovan has spoken publicly about dealing with depression throughout his life and career, and has criticized the professional sports world for its approach to mental health issues.
He ended up living off of welfare, and as a result of his financial difficulties and his claimed ostracism by the world of football, he fell into depression and also struggled with alcoholism.
[31] Ex-player Mickey Bennett set up an organisation called Unique Sports Counselling to help footballers deal with mental health issues.
[40] Later that month, Harry Smith released a statement stating that he was seeking help for mental health and gambling addiction problems.
[43] In May 2018, Andrés Iniesta revealed that he suffered from depression before the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to his injuries and the death of his friend Daniel Jarque.
[46] In September 2018, professional footballer Marvin Sordell suggested that clubs should have full-time counsellors to assist players with depression and other mental health issues.
[56] During that same month, the English Football League announced a scheme in conjunction with mental health charity Mind called 'Get Set to Go'.
[58] Later that month, Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson said clubs had a duty of care in relation to players' mental well-being if they were injured.
[60] In October 2019, Francesco Acerbi revealed that during his time with Milan he had suffered from depression following the death of his father, and fell into alcoholism as a result of the loss and his personal struggles.
[61][62] In November 2019, initiatives to promote mental health in football included Prince William meeting with West Bromwich Albion players to discuss the topic.
[64] The kick-offs for all third-round FA Cup matches over the weekend of 4 and 5 January 2020 were delayed by 60 seconds to promote a film narrated by Prince William about mental health.
[81] In June 2022 Tottenham players Harry Kane and Matt Doherty discussed the matter of mental health in professional sport.
[82] In October 2022, Steven Reid revealed that he had left his job as Nottingham Forest assistant manager in order to begin studying to qualify as a counsellor.
[85] In November 2022, Prince William and footballers Harry Kane and Declan Rice discussed mental health for the BBC, in an effort to raise awareness.
[89] Former Manchester United youth team captain Tom Thorpe spent five years away from the sport due to mental health problems, returning in 2023.
[90] In July 2023, Dele Alli said he had spent 6 weeks in rehab for sleeping pill addition and mental health issues, linked to childhood abuse.
[104] In October 2024, a Professional Footballers' Association survey of 1,000 players found that 68% felt that the fear of injuries impacted their mental health.