LONDON -- One in four professional footballers said they suffer symptoms of anxiety and depression in a new study into the sports largely unexplored "dark side" of mental illness. Blake Coleman Jersey . The mental health of recently retired professional footballers was even more worrisome, with one in three reporting signs of anxiety and depression. Some 300 current and former professionals -- from the Netherlands, Major League Soccer, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand -- took part in the study for the players union, FIFPro. While football can draw on reams of scientific study about players physical injuries, little research has previously been done into their mental health, and mental health problems have remained very much taboo in the sport, FIFPro chief medical officer Vincent Gouttebarge said. "There is definitely some dark side of professional football," he said in an interview. "We dont talk about mental health issues in football, or we didnt talk about this issue," he added. "Its quite a macho culture so people do not talk about it." Gouttebarge said the studys findings suggest that professional footballers are no less prone to mental illness than other younger people in the general population. He said that might surprise fans who believe footballers live comfortable, worry-free lives, with media attention often focusing on the wealth of the most successful players. "Contrary to what people think, professional footballers experience psychological problems just like other groups in the population," Gouttebarge said. Among the 180 active footballers who responded to the lengthy questionnaire, 10 per cent reported symptoms of distress, five per cent reported signs of burnout and three per cent said they suffered from low self-esteem. Nearly 20 per cent reported problems with alcohol, which Gouttebarge said could include binge drinking and regularly drinking too much, and seven per cent said they smoked. The 121 former professionals who responded on average had 12-year playing careers and have been retired for five years. Fifteen per cent showed signs of burnout and 18 per cent signs of distress. One in three reported drinking problems, 12 per cent smoked, and 39 per cent reported suffering from depression and anxiety. Gouttebarge said that could include worrying, mood swings, difficulties sleeping, feeling stressed, not being sociable or a combination of symptoms. "Mental illness seems to occur among former professional footballers more often than in current players, and more often than in other populations. Consequently, mental illness among former professional footballers cannot be underestimated and should be a subject of interest for all stakeholders in football," the study said. Retirement was "really a critical period," with players abruptly losing the structure of regular training and the support of being in a club, Gouttebarge said. "You have to find a new life," he said. "It can put you under a lot of stress." Long-term injuries and surgeries that take players out of the game and away from close, regular contact with teammates can also be factors in mental health problems. Being forced to stop playing professionally because of injury or because clubs wont offer another contract can be particularly hard to cope with, Gouttebarge noted. "This has been recognized in other sports as a huge cause of mental health issues," he said. "The guy who is willing to retire or to stop his career is really (in) a different kind of situation to the one who is forced to retire." He called the study "a good first step" toward identifying the scope of mental health issues in football. The survey is expanding to players in France and from French-speaking nations in Africa, with plans to also study players in Spanish-speaking countries and Japan, Gouttebarge said. Ken Daneyko Jersey . However, Therrien added that Galchenyuks status for next Wednesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings is questionable. Galchenyuk has been out since Jan. 6 with a broken right hand. Scott Stevens Jersey . "Its amazing to do this coming from such a small island, where tennis isnt necessarily recognized as one of the main sports," Puig said. "Im just happy Im able to be here playing tennis not only for myself, but for my country too. http://www.cheapdevilsjerseys.com/?tag=adidas-brian-gibbons-jersey .Y. -- Sore nose and all, Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists to help Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 5-3 on Friday night, snapping the Penguins mini-slump and slowing the Sabres late-season surge.For the second straight week, the Winnipeg Goldeyes teed off on Jason Jarvis. The Goldeyes scored seven times in the first two innings off the Sioux City starter on their way to a 9-3 win over the Explorers on Tuesday night. "The bats were hot early," said Goldeyes pitching coach Jamie Vermilyea. "We jumped out to a big lead and that takes a lot of pressure of your starter and hes able to settle in." With the win, Winnipeg moves within 2 1/2 games of the wild card. The Gary SouthShore RailCats, holders of the final American Association playoff spot, had their game with the Wichita Wingnuts postponed due to rain. "We just got to keep putting the pressure on them," said Vermilyea. "If they see us winning games, they might start playing a little tighter. Every game counts and we just got to keep on winning." Winnipeg scored twice in the opening inning off RBI hits from Yurendell de Caster and Ray Sadler. Then, they would bust it open in the second. Luis Alen expanded the lead to three when he came home on an error by Explorers third baseman Jeff Squier. That was the second error of the inning by Squier and Sioux City had yet to record an out. With tthe score now 5-0, Sadler and Josh Mazzola hit back-to-back, bases loaded singles with two outs to bring the Goldeyes lead to seven. Brian Boyle Jersey. That would cap a five-run, five-hit inning for the Fish. The errors by Squier and an additional one committed by Jarvis made all five runs unearned for the Explorers starter. Sadlers second double of the game brought home one of the two runs scored by the Goldeyes in the fourth inning to make it 9-0. That would be more than enough run support for Goldeyes starter Matt Jackson, who picked up his second win as a member of the Goldeyes. He worked eight innings and gave up a run in the fourth and two in the fifth, but Sioux City could not comeback from the large early deficit. Jarvis went five and a third innings and took the loss after the Goldeyes hit him for nine runs - four earned - on 14 hits. His previous start was last week in Winnipeg, where he gave up 11 runs in less than four innings of work. The Goldeyes will continue their playoff push tomorrow in the third game of this four-game set. Edgar Osuna gets the start for Winnipeg. Game time is 7 p.m. with the pre-game show on TSN 1290 beginning at 6:30 p.m. with Paul Edmonds. Cheap Diamondbacks Jerseys Cheap Braves Jerseys Cheap Orioles Jerseys Cheap Red Sox Jerseys Cheap Cubs Jerseys Cheap White Sox Jerseys Cheap Reds Jerseys Cheap Indians Jerseys Cheap Rockies Jerseys Cheap Tigers Jerseys Cheap Astros Jerseys Cheap Royals Jerseys Cheap Angels Jerseys Cheap Dodgers Jerseys Cheap Marlins Jerseys ' ' '