Real Madrid player urges superstars in sport to “show vulnerability”
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has urged professional athletes to speak more openly about their mental health.
The England international admitted that, like many athletes, he has struggled with the expectation to appear tough and unshakeable.
“I think there’s still a stigma around talking about mental health,” said Bellingham.
“I know there’s been times where I’ve felt vulnerable, doubted myself and needed someone to talk to. Instead, I’ve tried to keep up this macho athlete image of, ‘I don’t need anyone’.
“The truth is I do. Everyone does. And you’ll feel a lot better from talking about your feelings and emotions.”
Bellingham’s comments come only a month after Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe bemoaned the unforgiving nature of a sporting career, saying athletes were under pressure to always show strength and ripped to shreds for the slightest show of weakness.
Mbappe said “the reality is that people struggle to accept it” and footballers weren’t “supposed to show it”. He went ahead to say that if he didn’t have the passion for the sport “the football world would have disgusted me a long time ago”.
Bellingham said he hopes that high-profile players can start to show some vulnerability, which could help change attitudes toward mental health in sport and beyond.
“As athletes, it seems like we have the world at our feet, we can do whatever we want, earn so much money and never be affected by it,” said Bellingham.
“But the reality is if we can show vulnerability, then it opens up a bigger conversation for people who are struggling in the darkness.”
