Former Manchester United Defender Speaks Out on Dementia Crisis in Football

David May, who played for Manchester United in the 1990s, has revealed that several of his former teammates are struggling with dementia. In an interview, May expressed deep concern about the prevalence of the disease among retired footballers.

“I personally know of 4-5 former United players from the 70s and 80s who are battling dementia,” May stated. “Current players are terrified of developing it too. Many don’t want to get tested because they’re afraid of the results.”

May decided to get involved with dementia awareness efforts after speaking with John Stiles, son of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, who passed away from the disease in 2020. Research has shown that defenders are five times more likely to be diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases compared to the general population.

The former defender recounted the frequent head impacts players endured during his career: “We’d take blows to the head constantly, from heading, elbows, and collisions. In the 80s and 90s, you were just told to get on with it. Looking back, I must have headed the ball thousands of times in training and matches.”

May hopes to see more support for former players battling dementia and wants current footballers to be fully informed of the risks. While he hasn’t called for banning heading, he believes the sport needs to take collective action to address this growing crisis.

The Football Association introduced guidelines in 2021 recommending no more than 10 “high-force” headers per week in training. However, many feel more needs to be done to protect players and support those affected by dementia.