10 Questions with Richie Sadlier

Richie who is best known for his career as a professional footballer and as a regular analyst on the RTÉ Sports Panel, is also a practising psychotherapist. Here, Bressie talks to Richie about his tough journey with retirement, the need for better supports for players, psychotherapy, how he takes care of his own mental health, and the impact he has witnessed as a result of the module he delivers on mental fitness to transition year students.

1. How did retirement affect your mental health?

Quite severely, actually. I was completely heartbroken. I genuinely thought I was nothing without football and I was afraid everyone else would realise it too. I was full of self-pity and really, really angry. I was miserable too and spent a lot of time crying (in private, obviously). I let myself get into really bad physical shape because I had completely stopped training and my diet was awful. That did nothing for my self-esteem.

Being in constant physical pain as a result of the injury itself took its toll on my mood too. I didn’t want to be around footballers anymore so I started to pull away from a lot of my mates which didn’t help. I started to resent them for still being able to play football and then I’d beat myself up for thinking that way. My outlook on the future was fairly hopeless and I was full of what-ifs and regrets about the past.

My head was a fairly bleak place to be in back then. I was totally unprepared for how difficult the whole thing would be. And for some reason I convinced myself that nobody would want to listen to a former footballer complain about anything so I generally acted as if I was doing okay if anyone asked. Things started to improve a little as soon as I went to a therapist but it was a long road back.

2. Is there enough help out there for players and retired players with their mental health?

There is help out there, but not everyone knows where to find it. Players have the same access to mental health professionals as non-players, obviously, but sometimes the culture within football can be an issue. The game needs to get to a point where mental ill-health is seen in the same light as a physical injury – sometimes you can’t get by without treatment from a professional. More education is needed because there is still a lot of misunderstanding about what’s involved. Players need to know where to get support themselves and how to recognise someone who may need help. The same applies to the coaching and medical staff.

As for retirement, although I think ‘transition’ is the term for it these days, more can be done to help players to be better prepared. Former players can become quite isolated fairly quickly so early intervention is key. Hopefully in a few years a lot more will be in place because it is badly needed. We know how difficult the process can be for players (and their partners), so there’s a duty of care there for everyone involved – agents, clubs, the FA’s and the PFA.

3. Was the macho culture of Millwall an obstacle during the injury?

I think my own attitude didn’t help. I sometimes lied about the extent of the pain I was feeling because I was desperate to avoid retiring. I was terrified of the prospect. That was nobody’s fault but my own, but maybe there could have been more support in place to help me prepare better for it. Back then, even mentioning the possibility of retiring was seen as being negative and defeatist so I wasn’t able to say anything.

4. You studied psychotherapy. Do you enjoy helping others in this regard?

I did a HDip in Counselling & Psychotherapy and an MA in Psychotherapy. I’ve been interested in this field ever since I first attended therapy myself in my early twenties. As a working environment, a therapist’s chair is obviously quite different from the pitch at Millwall, but I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t really enjoy the work. I know from personal and professional experience just how beneficial the process can be.

5. With regard to your school work, how do you find young people’s attitudes towards mental health in Ireland?

I deliver a six-week mental fitness module to transition year students in my old secondary school, St Benildus College, in Kilmacud. It’s probably the thing I most enjoy doing. It covers topics like emotional intelligence, self-talk, confidence, resilience, identity, masculinity, suicide, counselling, and all the challenges and opportunities that adolescence presents. At the beginning, most of the lads have one word answers to questions about their mental well-being and what it entails. It’s a different story entirely by the end. They’re curious and chatty about the topic, and are full of questions and opinions once the right environment is created in the classroom. Often, like a lot of adults actually, they’re unsure of the vocabulary but that’s because they’ve never been given the space to discuss it openly before. I hear people campaign for all schools to deliver something like this, and maybe others do, but from what I see in St. Benildus it would be a really positive thing for young people if it was introduced everywhere.

6. Do you think we are doing enough to help the young people of Ireland?

That’s a very broad question but I don’t think anyone thinks we do enough. I would expect things to improve in the coming years though, because politicians and the HSE cannot defend the current system any longer. It’s only when you work in this field, or you personally know someone who needs support that you realise how bad things really are in Ireland.

7. How do you maintain your own mental health?

I go the gym regularly, I see a therapist every week, and I keep an eye on my diet as best I can. Simple stuff really. I learned the hard way how damaging it can be to bottle things up so I’ve gotten into the habit of speaking openly to certain people when I think it would help. And I spend my time doing things I enjoy as much as I can.

8. What do you think the main issues facing young people are?

Adolescence is tough and young people need support on so many fronts. Rather than focusing on any specific issue I prefer to stress the need for adolescents to be taught essential skills to help them cope. They need guidance on how to develop their emotional intelligence, for example. Social media presents certain challenges, obviously, but it also keeps people connected and can be a source of support. Help-seeking behaviours need to be encouraged, particularly among lads. Just like physical fitness, mental fitness can be built up and maintained by adopting certain ways of behaving. That’s the principle aim of the module I teach – to nudge young people into certain habits that they think might work for them. And unlike any other classroom subject, this is knowledge that is applicable to everyday living for the rest of their lives.

9. Punditry, columnist, putting yourself out there etc. How do you handle the abuse when it comes?

Most days I just tell myself that other people’s opinions aren’t my business. I limit my interest to the views of a very small circle of people close to me and ignore the rest. There have been times when the odd comment has pissed me off but it never lasts.

10. What are your plans for the coming year?

I’m planning to do specific studies in adolescent psychotherapy and work more in that area. I’m looking at ways of doing more with the students in St Benildus but the main focus for now is covering the Euros for RTÉ. I can’t wait for it.