Clarke Carlisle has said that a number of Premier League footballers are suffering from mental health illness but are too afraid to talk about it.
The former Burnley defender and PFA president believes that stigma concerning mental health illness results in players fearing being dropped or losing sponsorship deals.
Carlisle has depression, which led to a suicide attempt in December, and was speaking at the Mental Health Charter for Sports and Recreation.
"I've talked to many whose lives are falling apart and they don't understand why, players from all four divisions, from international to non-League," Carlisle said.
"You give them some physical ailment – an ache, a twinge – and they'll say, 'That's my medial'. But no one's been educated in this.
"It can affect their team selection and contract opportunities. There may be negative consequences to being honest about your mental health."
Mental health illness currently affects one in four Brits at any one time.
