FORMER Celtic player John Hughes has told how he is scared he could be diagnosed with dementia.
The ex-Celtic, Hibs, Ayr United and Falkirk player, who also won the Scottish Cup as manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, was speaking at Holyrood at the launch of a report calling for football-related brain injuries to be recognised as industrial injuries to allow access to social security benefits.
Hughes said the report was an eye-opener and there needs to be a shift away from football's “macho culture”.
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The Daily Record reported Hughes told the meeting: “I played in a day where you got hurt and you didn’t show that you were injured.
“I think we have to get away from that and we have to educate. It’s the stigma of coming forward to say ‘listen, I might be suffering here’. We are so far behind. We have to get moving.”
He said: “I’ve never forced a player to play on when they have concussion, I can say that.”
Hughes, a centre half during his playing days, which saw him play for Celtic in 1995-96, spoke about his fear of dementia.
He said: “I used to head the ball further than I could kick it.”
When asked if he was scared about dementia later in life he said: “100%”.
He added: “There’s no hiding the fact that former pros have got it.
“If I had it, do I still work in football? Does it stop me working? Does it stop my opportunity of working? It’s the stigma around it.”
The report found ex football players are three and ahalf more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodegenerative barain condition than the rest of the population.
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A number of high profile Scottish players, many who were regularly heading the ball, have died from dementia.
Legendary Celtic captain and manager Billy McNeill, Scotland and Manchester United star Gordon McQueen, and Scotland legend and joint record goalscorer Denis Law all had dementia.
