Twenty years ago, he was at the peak of his career and cheered on by millions of football fanatics. Now, two time player of the year and former international football star who once lined up against Brazil and the great Ronaldinho finds himself cleaning a University in Australia.
The 45-year-old has a complicated relationship with the game he loves, after a long battle with mental health issues. In a CNN news report, Andrew Scott Howman, president of the New Zealand Professional Footballers' Association (NZPFA) told FIFPro- an organization that represents international footballers, said that they did not realize at that time that one of their own players, Chris Jackson, who was an outstanding player for New Zealand, was suffering from mental health issues. "It shocked even some of his friends who had known him for years. They didn't have a single clue at the time, and also not when they were playing with him, that Chris was suffering from these issues," Howman added.
Truth be told, Jackson is not the only one suffering from mental health problems. FIFPro conducted a new study revealing that 38% of 826 former and current players had suffered from mental health problems at one time or another. The organization further relates that soccer players are 20% more likely to suffer from mental health illness compared to the general population.
In Jackson's case, he coached Cringila Lions, an Australia soccer club, for one successful season after his retirement and admitted that the stress of being a manager was another factor that contributed to his illness.
"It has been very challenging in many ways," he said. "There is an art to coaching that I think takes years to master, trying to pass on skills and knowledge is a huge effort. I have found that it added another level of worry and stress to my life, with the weight of expectation the job requires. Everything is about winning, winning, winning. Honestly, I'd much rather be playing."
Chris Jackson first related his struggles in a 2014 FIFPro interview, revealing the fact that he had these battles since he was 15. His decision to talk publicly drew widespread support from organizations, fellow professionals and fans.
