Fulham have opened an investigation into allegations of racism, bullying and threatening behaviour at their academy after i made the Premier League club aware of the claims by one of its former youth players.
Max Noble tells i in an interview today how his harrowing experiences led to him suffering severe anxiety and depression, and considering suicide.
Noble alleges that he experienced abuse and threats that if he did not sign with a recommended agent he would not play. He also says he was administered painkilling injections as a child to play and train, and that when he required a double knee operation shortly before his scholarship deal ended the club refused to pay for it, telling him he was not receiving a new contract.
“I had depression, anxiety, all that trauma, it nearly killed me,” Noble says. “I got so depressed. I became such a recluse.” He adds: “I was in my bed thinking: I’ve failed, I’m a loser. That was the lowest point in my life where I thought: Actually I don’t want to be here any more. I’ve let my dad down, I’ve left my whole family down, I’ve embarrassed everyone. My identity was gone.”
The former Wales youth international is in touch with 25 former Premier League academy players who have been through similar issues, some of whom have attempted suicide and self-harmed.
After producing and releasing an online video depicting the struggles faced by academy footballers, Noble was contacted by around 150 other former academy players who said they had faced similar issues. He calls for football clubs to have to provide a duty of care to players who they deem good enough to remove from their traditional school routine but eventually release.
“The only thing I want to change,” Noble says, “is if you take a boy out of school you owe him aftercare. That’s it. You can’t promise them the world, then ignore them when they’re depressed, or they’re going through what I had to go through. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
After being made aware of Noble’s allegations, Fulham vowed to investigate them fully. “Fulham Football Club has been made aware of the allegations,” the club said in a statement released to i. “We condemn bullying, racism and discrimination in any form and work hard to ensure that they have no place here. The club will investigate the historic claims and liaise with all relevant parties.”
Read Max Noble’s full interview here
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3cbEK7a
Post a Comment