James Wilson of Manchester United FC

A FORMER UNITED STRIKER’S MESSAGE ON MENTAL HEALTH

JAMES WILSON, A FORMER STRIKER FOR MANCHESTER UNITED, OBSERVED WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY BY SHARING AN OPEN AND SINCERE STATEMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

THE 26-YEAR-OLD, WHO IS CURRENTLY PLAYING FOR PORT VALE, ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE ENGAGES IN A “CONTINUOUS WAR” WITH HIMSELF AND ENCOURAGES ANYONE WHO IS HAVING TROUBLE TO CONTACT MIND, THE SAMARITANS, CALM, OR ANXIETY UK FOR SUPPORT.

HE SCORED IN HIS SIXTH GAME OF 2022/23, A 2-1 VICTORY AT BOLTON WANDERERS ON SATURDAY, FOLLOWING A MAN-OF-THE-MATCH PERFORMANCE IN THE LEAGUE TWO PLAY-OFF FINAL FROM THE PREVIOUS SEASON.

AFTER AN IMPRESSIVE START UNDER INTERIM MANAGER RYAN GIGGS IN 2014 AGAINST HULL CITY IN WHICH HE SCORED TWICE, INJURY ISSUES HAMPERED THE LATER PART OF HIS TIME AT BOYHOOD CLUB UNITED.

PRIOR TO JOINING ABERDEEN IN 2019/20, HE SCORED FOUR GOALS IN 20 GAMES FOR UNITED’S FIRST TEAM, INCLUDING THREE IN THREE PREMIER LEAGUE STARTS, THANKS TO AN EXTRAORDINARILY FRUITFUL PERIOD OF YOUTH PLAY. LATER, HE TRANSFERRED TO SALFORD CITY, WHERE IN 21 LEAGUE GAMES, HE SCORED NINE GOALS.

THE STRIKER HAS EXCELLED SINCE JOINING VALE AND IS POISED TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE ONCE MORE FOR THE LEAGUE ONE TEAM.

WILSON HAS, HOWEVER, DECIDED THAT THIS IS THE PERFECT MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT HIS CAREER THUS FAR AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAS HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT CONTINUING TO PLAY.

HE NOTED ON HIS INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT, @J WILSON19, “TODAY IS WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY.”

“LIKE A LOT OF OTHERS, I ALWAYS STRUGGLE WITH MYSELF. MY MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN AFFECTED OVER TIME BY THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT FOOTBALL BRINGS, AND THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHEN I’VE DOUBTED WHETHER I SHOULD OR COULD CONTINUE. THE PAST YEAR HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THESE FEELINGS WILL PASS AND THAT THINGS WILL IMPROVE. EVEN THOUGH SUCH EMOTIONS COULD STILL BE PRESENT, THINGS WILL GET BETTER AND JOY WILL RETURN.

“PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE IF YOU’RE READING THIS AND HAVING TROUBLE. TODAY, SPEND SOME TIME CHECKING IN ON LOVED ONES OR THOSE YOU HAVEN’T HEARD FROM IN A WHILE. EVEN IN THE MOST DIRE SITUATIONS, THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY OUT.

WILSON ALSO PROVIDED LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS AND CHARITIES AT THE BOTTOM OF HIS INSTAGRAM POST, ALONG WITH THE MIND PHONE NUMBER, 0300 123 3393.

WE AT MANCHESTER UNITED ALL WISH WILLO THE BEST AND AGREE WITH HIS CRUCIAL MESSAGE.

Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/