Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has taken to Twitter to open up about his mental health. This is commendable from the England international.
Mental illness is something that’s not frequently spoken about by footballers. They tend to play the alpha male, allowing no signs of weakness that could be played on by their opponents.
It’s not healthy, though. Not for them, keeping it bottled up inside, or those watching, with footballers being role models for millions.
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They have a platform to make positive changes in society, just look at Marcus Rashford, but too many of them remain tight-lipped on issues like this.
Not Chilwell, though. The Chelsea summer signing has taken to Twitter to reflect on a hard time he went through last year, hoping that it could help others be comparably open about their feelings.
— Ben Chilwell (@BenChilwell) October 29, 2020
Especially in wake of the Jeremy Wisten tragedy, it’s incredibly important for footballers to be frank and open about their own personal experiences with mental health.
Hats off to you, Ben Chilwell.