Dementia in football: Current generation must be protected, says Neil Warnock

Neil Warnock played in an era when long-term issues caused by heading in football were unknown

Neil Warnock has urged football's authorities to ensure current players are better protected from the threat of dementia than those of his generation were.

Warnock, 73, says the issue "has dragged on" without conclusion.

The now-retired manager wants young players and professionals protected.

"I think now we have to think about the people now who are suffering and realise that could be you in 25, 30 years' time," he said.

"I think it's important that we try and take steps now to help the generation that's now coming through."

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) has launched a fresh consultation on head injuries in the sport with diagnosed and undiagnosed ex-players to be surveyed as the PFA pushes for a care fund.

It is also hoped brain injury chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) will be classed as an industrial disease.

Warnock highlighted the plight of former Rotherham team-mate and ex-England captain Dave Watson.

In 2020, Watson's wife Penny expressed the belief her husband was suffering a neurodegenerative disease most likely brought on by head injuries and repeated heading of the ball.

Warnock says Watson "headed balls 50 yards in training every single day of the week, like 20 balls a day and you can't say it's not going to do damage".

He added: "We didn't know that then and it's just dragged on that long, it seems like it's dragged on my whole life that we're going to investigate and we're going to have answers.

"The only thing for me is though, I think with defenders and people who head the ball all the time, there's going to have to be limitations for youth-team players, because I can't see how you can do it in a proper game. I think that has to be the same.

"It seems nobody knows the exact answer because we've had one investigation after the other, but it's obviously doing damage."

Having spent 55 years in football as a player and then manager, Warnock says he avoided the sort of issues suffered by many in the game because the position in which he played was less exposed to the dangers of regular heading in training and games.

Speaking to BBC Wales ahead of his one-man theatre tour, Warnock said: "I think it's something we never thought about... when I was playing the balls were like heading a brick.

"I know it sounds silly, but I'm fortunate I was a winger. Wingers never headed the ball - I think whenever I headed the ball I got cheered by the fans."

He added: "I think there will have to be some curbs for schoolboy football and training for professional clubs regarding limiting the type of heading until matchday.

"I think there's going to have to be something done because when you are young you don't think about it so you don't worry about it and you head 40 balls a day if you have to."