James McAtee advises all players to talk to family or friends if they are going through hard times on and off the field.
A little about the topic
The Man City academy alumnus, the 19-year-old midfielder discusses the challenges young players face in football today, with the player acknowledging that mental health issues need to be addressed. The English player has emerged from the famed youth system of the PL champions to take in six appearances in all competitions this season, with his star seemingly very on the rise. McAtee, however, faces a number of challenges on and off the field and says it’s important for players with promises – as well as more established ones – to talk to friends and family if they find themselves in a tense environment.
What did James McAtee say?
England under-20 international James McAtee, who made his PL debut for Man City against Everton in November 2021, told the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports that he thinks being a young footballer is everyone’s dream. When they grow up, they want to be a young footballer, but sometimes James thinks people don’t see what it really is. Obviously there are amazing parts, but there are also bad parts. According to James McAtee, they get bad comments and sometimes they just have to ignore it, but sometimes it can affect them. McAtee thinks every young player experiences this.
James can always talk to his family no matter what, but his friends are really good. If James had a bad day at work or a bad game, or just a simple day in general, he might go golf or bowl with his friends so they keep his mind off football if things don’t go so well. McAtee says that in the football environment, when they need help, they don’t want to ask anyone because everyone is in competition. According to James, sometimes it’s hard to ask a teammate, but he would advise a young player or any player to go and talk to a teammate because they might have gone through the same thing they’re going through.