Wolves Keeper Keeps It Real with Head 4 Health

Wolves Keeper Keeps It Real with Head 4 Health

Fresh from an impressive Premier League debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Wolves keeper Dan Bentley described how he ‘keeps’ himself focused on dealing with pressure and nerves during a visit to Wolves Foundation’s Head 4 Health project.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper, whose top-flight bow was also his first appearance for Wolves, having previously worked hard to progress from League Two up to the Championship, met participants and answered questions at one of the Wolves Foundation’s flagship projects during Mental Health Awareness Week. 

Each table of participants had a stress container and chatted about what causes them anxiety – the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week – with Bentley moving around and sharing his own experiences of life as a professional. 

He told participants: “I think the title of being a footballer – we get to put on a pedestal. Everybody thinks we’re untouchable and we don’t have feelings. We’re robots that just fit into a routine and everyone has expectations of us. 

“But footballers have feelings too, I’ve known players who have suffered with mental health, suffered with anxiety. I’ve known footballers that have hated every minute of being a footballer.“

Head 4 Health is a project which aims to improve the mental wellbeing of adults through educational workshops and physical activity in an informal environment. 

It was set up in 2019 thanks to funding from the Premier League and PFA Community Fund and has also been supported by the City of Wolverhampton Council.