Ream and Azpilicueta hold QandA on mental health with schools across the country

That was the message Fulham captain Tim Ream and Chelsea skipper Cesar Azpilicueta had for the hundreds of kids who logged on to their Q&A session on anxiety as part of Mental Health Awareness week.

Advertisement

Teaming up with Virtual Soccer Schools - an organisation that Ream is the global athlete liason for - and Amazing People Schools, the two Premier League stars spoke to over 80 schools on Friday to help educate children around the country on mental health.

The theme of the session was anxiety, and with over eight million people experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time, Ream and Azpilicueta were keen to help the kids understand it through recalling their own experience of it in their own lives.

Advertisement

For Ream, anxiety is something he's encountered plenty of times in his life, including when he was younger. However, there was one recent incident that caused it to spark up again - his injury in the 2-1 loss against Man City in April.

The United States defender went to ground as he broke his arm following an awkward tangle with Julian Alvarez which resulted in him needing an operation and being ruled out for the rest of the season.

Recalling the anxiety alongside the physical pain of his arm injury, Ream told the children: "My most recent example is I broke my arm almost three weeks ago.

"I was playing in a match against Manchester City and immediately after being taken off, in the ambulance to the hospital my first thought was 'is this serious and is this going to end or be a problem for my career and my ability to play?'

Advertisement

Advertisement

"And as I get that thought in my head, other thoughts spiral and you start to think 'is this the end of my career?', 'Am I going to be out so long I'll miss the end of the season?', 'am I going to miss pre-season?', 'am I going to be able to run soon to stay fit?'

"Speaking about the feeling you had to friends and family is the easiest way [to overcome it]. But then realising a broken bone is just a little bit of change and you just have to let it heal."

Moments of self doubt like the one Ream experienced recently has also affected Azpilicueta.

Advertisement

The Spaniard has frequently spoken openly about his mental health, with him and Chelsea women's team star Fran Kirby recently fronting a mental health campaign launched by the Blues.

When asked by one of the children whether he ever has voices in his head telling him he's not good enough, the Blues skipper said: "It's difficult to answer you know because sometimes you can have a low moment.

"But you have to trust yourself, you have to be confident. All we can do is try and get the maximum from ourselves. I think everyone should feel confident and positive with that. We don't need to copy anyone, we are ourselves.

Advertisement

"I never believed I could be a professional footballer as a kid, so that's why I always take it step by step. If you can do everything you can, then you have to be happy with yourself."

Following the 40 minute session with the schools, Ream sat down with talkSPORT to explain that helping kids to understand mental health and know how to handle its challenges is close to his heart.

He struggled with it too as a child, but no one educated him on what it was.

"I don't think [I knew what anxiety was as a child]," he said. "I think as a kid when I look back, and I see it in my own kids, it manifests itself as 'oh my stomach hurts' or 'I don't really want to go to school today'.

Advertisement

"There's no one reason for it and you can't pinpoint the reason. I would've been the same. It was in third grade for me, I didn't want to go into third grade. I would be in class and I'd go to the nurse, because it was something about being there that I didn't want to be there.

"Looking back, it was anxiety. It was self doubt and being in an uncomfortable place."

Many footballers have highlighted the impact social media can have on their mental well being, with their being countless incidents of stars being subject to heavy criticism or even abuse on a regular basis.

Advertisement

Azpilicueta has previously spoken about spending long periods off his phone to avoid soaking up too much negativity, and Ream believes it's that knowing of when to take a step back from the platforms that is key.

"I think that's what we need to understand as people that what we say behind a screen does affect that person you're intending it to affect," he explained. "That's something we try to get kids to understand. You might not think it bothers the person, but it does.

"You can say 'oh you need to be stronger and mentally tougher.' I know people as mentally tough as they come and it still affects them.

"It's important to understand we are people, and comments have a big affect on everyone."

Advertisement

When asked how he helps cope with the negative sides of social media, he said: "For me what works, and it's difficult to do and you have to intentionally remind yourself, is if I post on [social media] I leave it.

"Like Cesar does, you just put the phone down. You don't worry about the comments or what they say."

Since joining Fulham in 2015 after signing from Bolton, Ream has made 291 appearances for the west London club, helping them to promotion three times as well as suffering two relegations.

Advertisement

Now, under Marco Silva, Fulham have swerved away from being a yo-yo club and secured a 10th place finish in the Premier League.

And Ream says it's down to his mental resilience that he's built up since the struggles he experienced last time Fulham were relegated that's helped see him involved in 35 games this year.

"I'd put it down to almost 90 per cent [why this season has been better]," he said. "It's played such a huge part for me for the last two and a half seasons.

"I was able to develop that [mental strength] during that tough season, the last Premier League season when we were relegated and I wasn't playing a lot. I read a lot of books, understanding what was going on [mentally] and developing different ways to not cope but understand what I was feeling.

Advertisement

"It's played such a huge role in being able to push aside things I've needed to push aside, recognise things I need to take on board and constructive criticism.

"You can't just always be this ray of sunshine, positive person all the time, there are times you need to take on board some of the criticisms and I think it's played a huge role in this season for sure.

"A lot of credit has to go to the manager for the mindset he's brought into the group.

Advertisement

"This is why I'm able to do what I can do at 35 years old. It takes time to develop that mental strength and understand yourself, which is what we're doing through VSS."

When asked what it means to be able to speak to children about mental health, Ream said: "Whether you're young, middle-aged, old. Mental health affects everyone.

"To give back and speak to the kids and let them know that yes we're athletes, we're at the top of our game, and you see us on TV and doing these great things, but it still affects us. We're still human beings.

"These days are helpful for the next generation but I've also found it's helpful for me. It's a way of me telling myself that these are feelings I've felt. It's great to share those stories and feel so open and be able to share that with the kids."