November 2 – England World Cup winner and former Manchester United stalwart Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia, according to British press reports, raising fresh concerns about the risk of neurodegenerative disorder from playing football.
“Everyone at Manchester United is saddened that this terrible disease has afflicted Sir Bobby Charlton and we continue to offer our love and support to Sir Bobby and his family,” United said in a statement on Sunday.
The announcement came two days after former midfielder Nobby Stiles, who won the 1966 World Cup and 1968 European Cup as Charlton’s England and United teammate, died after battling dementia.
In July, Jack Charlton, Bobby’s brother and another member of the 1966 World cup-winning team, also died after being diagnosed with the disease.
In recent years, the risks of dementia in football has become a cause for concern, in particular for players who frequently head the ball. In 2019 a study by the University of Glasgow, funded by the English FA and the Professional Footballers’ Association, discovered that former players had an approximately three-and-a-half-times higher rate of neurodegenerative disease than expected.
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