Former Premier League player to sue FA £300m for brain injuries

A former Premier League player, who also had a career with the England national football team, is reportedly suing over a brain injury case.

The player's name has not been revealed so far. A European Cup winner, he has claimed that heading the ball caused dementia or other conditions and is expected to ask for compensation as high as £300 million, reported The Sun.

Anonymous player

This anonymous player is part of a wider group of 379 sportspersons and their families who are taking legal action against the governing bodies for football and rugby. The targeted bodies in football include the International Football Association Board, The FA, the English Football League and the Football Association of Wales.

After England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles died aged 78 in October 2020 after being diagnosed with dementia, his family was among a group that launched legal proceedings last year against football's rule-making body (IFAB) as well as the English and Welsh FAs for negligence over claims they failed to protect players from permanent brain injury.

Stiles' brain was diagnosed as having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) - a form of degenerative disease dementia which is thought to be caused by repeated blows.

The claim from the group alleges that the football authorities have been careless in a number of aspects, including failing to reduce heading in training and during matches, and failure to allow an independent doctor to assess players who suffer a suspected concussion. The group also wants the authorities to not allow players back in training when it is unsafe to do so.

It is understood that the latest player added to the group joined them just recently, in the last two weeks. He played during the 1990s and won several caps for the England national team. There was the belief that players only from the 1960s and 1970s had been affected as they were heading heavy leather footballs. However, that myth ended with the inclusion of this unnamed player, which was an important moment in the case.

As per studies, modern balls travel at greater speeds, increasing the impact on the skull. Some of the petitioners have died and were found to have a type of brain damage known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. And those still alive have dementia, Parkinson's disease, post-concussion syndrome, epilepsy or motor neurone disease.

Players have died due to brain injuries

The players whose deaths have been linked to brain damage include West Brom's Jeff Astle, who died at 56 in 2002. England's 1966 heroes Ray Wilson, Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton and manager Sir Alf Ramsey all had dementia.

The above-mentioned group has hired London-based law firm Rylands to fight their legal case against the football and rugby bodies. Rylands is believed to be representing over 30 footballers with brain damage. They are also representing a group of over 300 former rugby union and league players who are suing authorities for negligence.

The group's lawyer, Richard Boardman told The Sun: "We allege there's been a systematic failure by the governing bodies to protect players."

Meanwhile, Nobby's son, John, who is part of the lawsuit, said: "In the fullness of time this will be seen as the greatest scandal in sport. The players have completely failed. They are uninformed and unprepared for the dangers.

"These proposed legal proceedings are a part of this overall campaign for justice for the victims, like Dad, and for fundamental change in an industry that continues to cause the death and illness of thousands of players (professional and amateur, men and women) every year."

Notably, in 2020, IFAB introduced a new rule of trials of permanent concussion substitutes, following which the Premier League and the Women's Super League also included it in their system in England last year.

It is also believed that the group's case is not solely about financial compensation, but also about making the game safer and ensuring current and former players get tested.