stressThe Professional Footballers' Association is sending a 36-page guidebook to its 4,000 members in English football to help them cope with the stresses of life in football. The booklet - originally announced in June - will also be made available to any one of the 50,000 ex-professionals who are on the PFA's books.
Gary Speed's tragic suicide on Sunday morning has brought the issue of mental health in the game to the forefront, with several Premier League players reportedly asking for help from various bodies in the wake of what happened to the late Wales manager.
The PFA's booklet focuses on a number of different stressful scenarios, from Premier League stars having to handle the media glare through to lower league players negotiating their way through the minefield of the one-year contracts that are now commonplace in the lower tiers.
Tips and advice from author Susannah Strong are illustated by legendary 'Roy of the Rovers' artist Paul Trevillion to create a document that is easy to read and digest, as the images on this page show.
"If nothing else I hope this tragedy can encourage people who need help to not hesitate to ask for it," said PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor.
"I want them to know there is a support system in place to understand their concerns and address them."
In an interview back in June when the booklet was first announced, Taylor said that footballers were all too often encouraged to bottle things up and get on with it.
"The attitude is so often 'pull yourself together'," he told The Guardian. "It's like in the film, The King's Speech, where George VI's father has no understanding of the problems that he's had. When Stan Collymore sought specialist treatment for his depression, Aston Villa wanted to sack him.
"A football dressing room is a bit like being in a barrack room in the services; it's about not showing mental weakness. Players have to put on a show but it's the ducks on the water; they might look calm on the surface but, underneath, they are paddling furiously."
Burnley star and PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle, also speaking before the Gary Speed tragedy, echoed those comments.
"Talking about mental health problems has traditionally been one of sport's great taboos," said Carlisle, who was treated for alcoholism and depression in 2003.
"When the boxer Frank Bruno was sectioned under the Mental Health Act, the press ran the headline 'Bonkers Bruno locked up' and, given this attitude, it is unsurprisingly very rare for sportsmen and sportswomen to 'come out' about mental ill health voluntarily.
"Many players may not actually recognise what it is or know how to seek help. I think this guidebook is groundbreaking for players and it takes the first steps towards talking about mental health in professional football."
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(Images: PFA / Northstar Design)
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