The Professional Footballers' Association has reached out to Steve Harper to apologise after claiming the Sunderland goalkeeper was just 'a bit emotional' when he accused the union of failing players at the end of their career.
After 20 years at Newcastle, the 40-year-old last month agreed a short-term deal with bitter rivals Sunderland - a move borne out of a desire to get back into a better mental state after being left without a club.
He told the Daily Telegraph: 'I said: "You do a lot of fantastic work for players when they are playing, but too many people of my age, or a year or two older, are either getting divorced, going bankrupt or struggle with depression".'
Former Newcastle stalwart Steve Harper claimed his move to Sunderland saved him from depression
The PFA have contacted Harper to apologise for labelling the veteran goalkeeper 'emotional'
Harper revealed he could feel depression creeping in again as the playing offers dried up after leaving Hull in the summer. He believes the PFA could have done more to help him and, by his own admission, 'tore into' the organisation at a recent dinner.
'They have been in touch with me since and told me about the courses they do, but I was PFA rep and if I don't know about them, more needs to be done to support players in that transition.'
However, Pat Lally, the PFA's director of education, was eager to defend his organisation. He told Press Association Sport: 'I know Steve was probably a bit emotional but it doesn't tell the whole story. It's disappointing for me when there is so much information out there.
Lally went on to claim that all the information to help players was in the PFA's magazine, while there is also a 'substantive' website which is open to all members.
The PFA have since contacted Harper, who played for Hull City before joining Sunderland, to clarify the comments, according to the Telegraph.
Sportsmail understands the PFA were willing to offer Harper a role before his move to Sunderland.
Harper signed for Sunderland until the end of the season after not playing for six months
PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes sympathises with Harper and other players in a similar predicament, saying he was in the same boat when his playing career came to an end.
'When I retired at 33, I'd never been to a doctor's surgery in my life,' the former West Ham winger said. 'As a footballer, a doctor is brought to you if you need one.
'All of a sudden you go to a surgery and you sit and wonder why you're not being brought to the top of the queue. Then you realise, actually, I was supposed to go to the desk at the front to tell them I am here.
'I certainly take on board Steve's views but I'd like to think that for every Steve Harper story there are a lot of other players (we help).
'We get lots of letters every week with stories of players that have gone into new professions. We've had people graduate and become lawyers, physiotherapists through our education departments.'
Harper urged the PFA to do more to help players like him in the twilight of his career
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét