The Duke of Cambridge hailed Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti as “wise” as he joined him for a mental health summit alongside some of football’s biggest names to uncover the pressures on players at all levels of the game.
As part of his long standing campaign to change the way mental fitness is perceived from grassroots to the Premier League and beyond, Prince William spoke about the need to revolutionise attitudes of everyone involved.
The Duke, who is President of the Football Association, welcomed Blues boss Ancelotti, former England captain David Beckham, Manchester City and England Women's captain Steph Houghton, Aston Villa and England defender Tyrone Mings and Crystal Palace and England winger Andros Townsend on a video call.
The conversation follows the breakthrough announcement today that all levels of the English game have signed a joint declaration, committing to make mental health a key priority as a legacy of William’s Heads Up programme.
Ancelotti, who penned a four-and-a-half year deal to become Everton manager in December, was the final participant who the second in line to the throne spoke to.
The Duke said: “And Carlo, last but not least to you…the wisest one of us all here, that’s for sure.”
Ancelotti, 61, has been coaching for 25 years and along with being one of only two men alive to win three Champions Leagues as a manager, he has guided teams to silverware in all five of Europe’s major five leagues (Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany).
The Blues boss said he was encouraged by changing attitudes to mental health within the game.
But he admitted it was “really rare” for players to speak to the manager about any issues.
He told Prince William: “In my experience it is really rare that the players come to you and say ‘mentally I am not good’ - really rare, it never happens.
“In the past few years something is changing.
“The fact that the player comes to you and says ‘I’m having a panic attack’, ‘I feel a lot of pressure on my shoulders’.
"But before it never happened that they come to me and say ‘I have a mental problem’.
“And I hope this is going to change because it’s a really important aspect.”
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