gianthogweed
Player Valuation: £25m
Former Everton captain Mick Lyons has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
And doctors say the brain damage was caused by the constant heading of balls. Lyons, 70, said: "I loved heading the ball. I’d go up for all the corners. When you headed it, it was thud, thud, thud. I used to get quite a few stitches in the face through heading."
"My memory has not been fantastic over the years. I think, ‘What did I do then?’ but I just get through OK. I don’t worry at all about it. To me, it was part of the job.”
The former central defender added he does not want heading banned from football but he does think it could be restricted in training. He said: "We used to do lots in training but it is part of the game that we love. There’s nothing better than seeing the wingers going down the line and crossing it and the centre forward heading it into the top corner.
"That’s excitement. That’s what the game is all about. I just loved playing football, especially for Everton Football Club."
Lyons’ daughter Francesca first noticed his condition when people would come up to him and he did not remember who they were.
She said: "He says it’s from heading the ball but he remembers everything from years back – football matches and scores."
Lyons made 473 appearances for Everton between 1970 and 1982, scoring 59 goals. He later played for Sheffield Wednesday, was player-manager at Grimsby Town and coached in Brunei and Australia, where he now lives. His family became concerned after his 68th birthday and arranged tests in Australia.
And doctors say the brain damage was caused by the constant heading of balls. Lyons, 70, said: "I loved heading the ball. I’d go up for all the corners. When you headed it, it was thud, thud, thud. I used to get quite a few stitches in the face through heading."
"My memory has not been fantastic over the years. I think, ‘What did I do then?’ but I just get through OK. I don’t worry at all about it. To me, it was part of the job.”
The former central defender added he does not want heading banned from football but he does think it could be restricted in training. He said: "We used to do lots in training but it is part of the game that we love. There’s nothing better than seeing the wingers going down the line and crossing it and the centre forward heading it into the top corner.
"That’s excitement. That’s what the game is all about. I just loved playing football, especially for Everton Football Club."
Lyons’ daughter Francesca first noticed his condition when people would come up to him and he did not remember who they were.
She said: "He says it’s from heading the ball but he remembers everything from years back – football matches and scores."
Lyons made 473 appearances for Everton between 1970 and 1982, scoring 59 goals. He later played for Sheffield Wednesday, was player-manager at Grimsby Town and coached in Brunei and Australia, where he now lives. His family became concerned after his 68th birthday and arranged tests in Australia.
