England legend Terry Butcher has warned of the mental health toll on young Three Lions stars at this summer's World Cup. The 67-year-old former captain, speaking at the screening of his documentary 'Butcher: Invisible Wounds,' highlighted the added pressure from social media that modern players face.
Butcher, who played in three World Cups and captained England at Italia 90, said: 'Generally, you have your phone all the time, you look at it all the time and when you look at social media, it affects your day, your character. If it is negative then it really hurts.' He contrasted the current era with his own, noting that the pressure on today's team is far greater.
The former defender praised the BBC series 'Dear England' for highlighting the pressures on the team and manager Gareth Southgate. He also expressed admiration for the current squad, saying: 'I admire and respect them. On the pitch they have to perform, there is so much pressure on social media these days.'
Butcher's documentary also covers his own struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, and the tragic death of his son Chris in 2017. Chris, a former soldier, died aged 35 from an abnormal enlargement of the heart combined with the effect of drugs against a background of PTSD.
The documentary, which airs on ITV4 on 9th June, features tributes from Gary Lineker and Ally McCoist. Butcher thanked ITV and the charity combat2coffee, whose founder Nigel Seaman said the film was helping 'to save lives'.
