Juventus forward Alvaro Morata has said the day will come when footballers talk to psychologists about mental health issues as part of their regular training.
Morata, 28, has revealed he almost suffered from depression in his first season at Chelsea and has seen a psychologist to help him cope with the daily pressure since.
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“I’ve never had depression and I hope I never have it, but I got close to it,” Morata told EL Mundo. “I don’t think we give her the importance she has.
“When your head is not working well, you are your own worst enemy. During these times, no matter what you do, you are always fighting against yourself.
“Depression is like breaking an ankle. “
The Spain international added that mental health should be addressed in football.
“Just like we train in the gym or on the field to improve our technique and tactical skills, I think the mind is something that also needs to be trained,” he said. “You have to be ready and that [seeing a psychologist] helps you a lot.
“Even for my generation, in recent years it was not seen as normal to see a psychologist. But inevitably, it must be something normal. Today it is more common and there will be a day when it will be mandatory. There are people who are going through difficult times… ”
Morata revealed in 2018 during his second season at Chelsea that he was seeing a psychologist to help him deal with “the pressure and the emotions”.
Chelsea paid £ 58million at the time to sign Morata from Real Madrid as Diego Costa’s replacement in the summer of 2017.
“If I had had a professional, close to me during my time [first season] at Chelsea, I think it would have gone better for me, ”he said.
Morata, who left Chelsea in January 2019 and joined Juventus last summer on loan from Atletico Madrid, said he had regular sessions with a psychologist to feel better mentally.
“Yes,” he said. “But it’s not a question of whether I will [mentally] fall or not again. It’s about seeing a person and sharing your point of view with an impartial person who will be honest with you. You cannot clean your mind like you clean your teeth. You have to get things out of your head. I think talking to someone, and someone who can understand you, is important. ”
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