County's footballers urged to learn about concussion

Essex football coach Nick Eyre said concussion training could help to protect young players like his son Ellis

A football association has urged players to take part in a course about the risk of head injuries.

The Essex Football Association (EFA) said the free training was also available to coaches and other professionals in the sport to help them identify symptoms of a possible concussion and teach them how to react

It follows legal action by 19 former footballers over brain injuries allegedly suffered during their careers.

Former professional footballer Nick Eyre, who now coaches near Witham, said the course was vital to ensure players were not "rushed back" into a game.

Mr Eyre, 39, used to be a goalkeeper and said he had been injured a few times in his career.

He hit his head on the side of a goalpost when he was 13 or 14 years old but said he was allowed to continue playing after some basic checks.

Things were very different these days, he said: "Quite often if they get hit in the face or in the head their session stops, even though they say they are OK."

A spokesperson for the FA said: "The attention to detail when handling a concussion needs treating with considerable care, and England Football Learning provide a free, online course which aims to explore the guidelines which individuals must follow to meet the necessary standards."