Chris Jackson
In 2014, the former New Zealand revealed his own battle with mental health, saying he was comforted by the huge number of professional football players battling with mental illness.
“It was quite humbling to know so many players at the top level have experienced this huge hidden issue,” said Jackson, the 45-year-old former International who is now a cleaner in an Australia’s University.
“Most are still trying to deal with it to this day, battling through everyday life. Knowing there were others in the same boat kind of made me realise I was not doing this all by myself.”
Andrew Scott Howman, president of the New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association (NZPFA), said:
“We did not realize at that time that one of our own players, Chris Jackson, who was a fantastic player for New Zealand, was suffering from mental health issues.”
