FOOTBALLERS More than just a player

Caroline Elwood-Stokes, former player of Sheffield Wednesday Ladies. Kilnhurst, Sheffield United Ladies and published author is the founder of FOOTBALLS AWARENESS of MENTAL HEALTH (FAMH), an Organisation providing support and awareness to players, coaches and managers suffering with – or have suffered with – mental health issues. ​ “As an ex footballer myself, I lost my career abruptly 23 years ago,” said Elwood-Stokes. “I was not able to face football, I couldn’t even bear to hear the word and I went into a massive spiral of depression, so severely that I was self harming, taking over doses and planning my own death. Basically, if I couldn’t play football I wanted to be dead. After years of taking anti depressants and having many sessions of bereavement counselling to get over the loss of my career, I have finally returned to the game.”