‘This is an issue with the very culture of football and its stubborn refusal to put players’ health above all else.’
BRAIN INJURY CHARITY Headway have questioned the decision to allow Harry Maguire to continue playing for Manchester United after sustaining a head collision and warned about the management of in-game impacts in football.
Maguire finished the game United as won 1-0, and he later told MUTV he had passed concussion protocols, saying, “The doctor did all the tests, I knew where I was and I was answering all the questions and I completed them thankfully.” “An opponent’s shoulder strikes the side of his head; minutes later he goes down on his haunches, showing clear signs of discomfort.
“We are not privy to the discussions with his medical team, nor should their professionalism be questioned. This is an issue with the very culture of football and its stubborn refusal to put players’ health above all else – including the result of a game. “Every time the ‘if in doubt, sit it out’ principle is seen to be ignored in elite level football, our chances of educating younger players and better protecting future generations from short and long-term brain injury is diminished.