COPA90 aims to give blues the boot

With footie culture saturated in concepts of masculine bravado – and 84 per cent of men saying they find it hard to talk about their mental health – depression is an under-reported topic, but anyone can be affected by the illness – even Premier League players. 

This touching film, directed by Pete Banks and created by Copa90 Studies, stars Everton and England player Michael Keane bravely opening up about his experiences following an injury that left him feeling ashamed, isolated and eventually overwhelmed.

Created in association with mental health charity CALM, this episode is part of The Groundbreakers series, which profiles convention-breaking athletes. 

In a 2018 episode from the series that also focussed on mental health issues, former Premier League footballer, Leon McKenzie, discussed how, while a successful player for Charlton FC, his long-term battles with depression took him to make an attempt on his own life.