‘Things have improved but not enough’: sports psychotherapist on Wayne Rooney’s mental health discussion

His comments come as ex-Manchester United star, Wayne Rooney, shone a spotlight on his mental health struggles as a player when his new documentary premiered in Manchester.
Jenny Simpson
By Jenny Simpson
Published 16th Feb 2022, 13:39 BST

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A leading psychotherapist has said football clubs have got better at dealing with players’ mental health needs - but things still need to improve.

Gary Bloom spoke out after former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney opened up publicly about his own battles with mental health, alcohol and depression during his time as a player.

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The now Derby County boss spoke frankly about his struggles and said he found it too hard in those days to discuss them with his team-mates, as part of a series of interviews promoting his new documentary, Rooney.

Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney attend the “Rooney” World Premiere at Home on February 09, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney attend the “Rooney” World Premiere at Home on February 09, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Coleen Rooney and Wayne Rooney attend the “Rooney” World Premiere at Home on February 09, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

Rooney premiered at Manchester HOME cinema last week and is now showing on Amazon Prime.

In our video report, Mr Bloom highlights how, while many English clubs employ sports psychologists to help players with on-field performance, there is only one psychotherapist across 92 league clubs who is dedicated to helping with mental health.

Related topics:Wayne RooneyManchesterManchester UnitedDerby County

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