‘I need to try and help people’ – Jordan Henderson on mental health in sport and society today

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How many times can it be said that Jordan Henderson is a fantastic football and a phenomenal man?

Our captain is a truly inspiring individual and has been speaking with Nike about his thoughts and beliefs on mental health.

He was interviewed alongside Chelsea’s Fran Kirby in the One on One series where two athletes are presented a host of questions to answer together.

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The question posed to the pair was about the surprise of the significance of mental health in sport since they started playing.

Our captain responded with: “The mental side is a huge part of any sport. I try to help younger players as much as possible — make sure they don’t get too worried about what people are saying on social media or in the press, things like that.

“That can have a huge impact on a player’s performance. When I joined Liverpool at 20, there were points where I was in a bad place mentally.

“So having experienced that, if I can use my platform to raise awareness and help some people feel better, that’s incredibly important to me.

“Now it’s not really a question of “Should I say something or not?” I’ve been there myself, so I need to do that.

“I need to try and help people”.

What a truly inspiring man who has, on so many occasions, attempted to use his platform for good.

There’s nothing wrong with having a laugh, posting your goals and assists or hosting Q&As on social media but the 31-year-old makes such a concerted effort to turn his influence into a positive for others.

We’re so lucky to have him and what a fantastic human being he is.

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