Leicester City: How the Foxes are helping to tackle mental health issues through football

Among those spoken to by Webb and participating in the program this week were Leicester City captain Ricardo Pereira and Fox striker Bobby de Cordova Reid.

Webb admits he was “stunned” as the pair stood pitchside as managers for the day as part of the EFL’s working week., external

However, it was at the club after the match that Pereira – an FA Cup winner with the Foxes – and Jamaican international De Cordova-Reid caught up with the group as they spoke about how they deal with the pressures and challenges they face being elite athletes.

The experiences the footballers faced in their lives may not have been the same as those faced by the people they spoke to, but their willingness to share resonated with the group.

“It’s important to be seen as a human being and not just an unattainable footballer,” Pereira said.

“If I open up to you, you’ll open up to me. And that’s a really important first step to getting some help, or to get things off your chest when you’re feeling alone or in a bad place.”

Pereira has spoken about the injury problems he has had in the past – the cruciate ligament tear he suffered in 2020 that sidelined him for more than 10 months, and the ruptured Achilles tendon that followed in 2022 – when talking about the moments he found difficult.

“It was little things, like just trying to walk, something you take for granted, and suddenly you can’t do it. That changes your perspective,” Pereira said.

“It’s in moments like this that you find strengths you didn’t know you had.

“I am stronger now because of the injuries I suffered. Not as a footballer, but as a person there is no doubt. I have learned a lot about myself, and how to deal with problems and difficult things.”

For Webb, who now lives in temporary housing and works in security, what Pereira spoke about was something he could relate to.

“When you hear them talk, you can see them as ordinary people who are good at football,” Webb said.

While this was a session where Webb and others were able to see a part of themselves in the footballers they admire, it is football that is used every week to help them cope.

Match tactics, football philosophies and measurements fill every discussion during therapy sessions.

Match footage is examined and broken down, with attacking tactics and defensive formations translated into a guide to dealing with everyday life.

“We are linking this to a mental health issue,” said Mehul Karia, Leicester City’s community health and wellbeing co-ordinator.

“We find that using football theories and analogies is a great way to engage with participants.

“The biggest analogy I use is that when you think about a football team, especially in this day and age and how teams like to play, the ball doesn’t go past the keeper straight into the penalty area very often.

“It’s not the first way. Instead, they play the ball around the back and it might be passed backwards. And it’s just like life when you’re trying to move forward – sometimes you have to move sideways or take a step back.

“It’s how you band together to ultimately move toward a common goal.”