Gary Speed’s death prompts PFA to offer support

THE PROFESSIONAL Footballers’ Association is to widen circulation of its booklet on depression to all 50,000 former players, following Gary Speed’s death.

By The Newsroom

Published 1st Dec 2011, 02:24 BST

The PFA had sent out the 36-page booklet at the start of the season to its 4,000 members, partly in response to the deaths of Rushden keeper Dale Roberts, 24, and German international keeper Robert Enke, 32.

There has been no confirmation that Wales coach Mr Speed, 42, was depressed but PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said it has now decided to extend distribution of the leaflet, which includes case studies on suffering depression by Neil Lennon, Paul Gascoigne and Andy Cole.

Mr Taylor said: “We want to do all we can to avoid another tragedy.”