FORMER Premier League star Matt Jansen has credited his ex-Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce with helping to transform the way modern clubs safeguard the mental health of players.

Earlier this year the Professional Footballers' Association revealed how record numbers of players are seeking support for anxiety and depression.

PFA director of player welfare Michael Bennett says the number of pros asking for help will ‘double or treble’ this year compared with 2018.

And one player who’s experienced those lows is former Whites striker Jansen.

In the summer of 2002, at the height of his powers and on the brink of an England call-up, Jansen suffered a horror motorcycle accident in Rome, Italy.

The crash left him in a coma for six days, and as he was subsequently racked by psychological issues and self-doubt when he returned to the turf.

And while Jansen wishes he could have received the support then that players have access to now, he says it was Allardyce – who managed him at Bolton in 2006 – who was among the mental health revolution frontrunners.

Jansen, who chronicles his career in new autobiography 'What Was, What Is and What Might Have Been', explains: “There was a time when I was at rock bottom with my mental health. I was on the floor, where I used to be ultra confident.

“And back in 2002, the prevailing view was that if you went to see a psychologist, you were weak. You were stupid. You were ‘crazy’.

“It was, ‘Pull your socks up. What’s wrong with you?’ You’d end up locked in a cycle of depression.

“Nowadays, addressing your mental health is welcomed in the vast majority of cases – and while it’s not perfect, we’re definitely moving in the right direction.

“In many ways, I wish the system that’s in place now was there for me 17 years ago. Would I have been treated differently? Would I have been managed better? And I would I have been able to overcome my problems much more quickly?

“I can’t criticise anyone who managed me – it was just the culture of the game at the time. I was arguably brought back too soon, but I’d cost Blackburn a lot of money and no one could see the ‘injury’ that I was still carrying inside my head.

“I was hamstrung by self-doubt and it ultimately had a massive impact on my career.”

Jansen, who hung his boots up in 2014, says that while the UK took time to catch up with systems already in place in America, he says the PFA is making positive strides in mental health care.

And back in 2002, Jansen says it was Allardyce who took the first tentative steps in the Premier League.

The forward – who played just seven times for Wanderers without scoring – says: “We’re miles further forward in terms of looking after the mental health of players now than where we were in 2002.

“And I think Sam Allardyce, who I played for at Bolton in 2006, was one of the pioneers in England.

“He had two pyschologists and encouraged everyone in the squad to spend 40 minutes, at least, with them each week. And that was really unusual at the time.

“Some people might label him a ‘dinosaur’ of the game, but he recognised the value in doing that and was one of the first to implement it in the Premier League. He deserves credit for that.

"He also had acupuncturists at the club – basically, anything he could do to give the players an advantage, he’d explore it.”

Father-of-three Jansen, 41, has also revealed how a recent hair transplant procedure to rejuvenate his thinning locks has also aided his psychological recovery. 

Jansen underwent a transplant with specialist Dr Bessam Farjo at Manchester’s Farjo Hair Institute in November last year, the results of which are now becoming apparent. 

And Jansen - who follows in a long line of footballers to seek a hair transplant - has shrugged off the idea he should be embarrassed about it, saying it’s had a real impact on his confidence. 

He  adds: “I’ve definitely benefited from it. It’s really helped me. 

“My confidence has clearly taken a real knock in the past. But doing something like this simply helps you to feel good about yourself. Where’s the harm in that?

“You want to look your best. And for me, a hair transplant is like wearing nice clothes - it’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about. 

“You never know how you’d feel if you didn’t have it done, but I definitely feel more confident. 

“People might say, ‘Oh, I can’t believe you’ve had a hair transplant’. 

“But thankfully, hair transplants are becoming the norm and people are a lot more accepting of them these days.”

Jansen resigned as Chorley manager in 2018 after three years in the dug-out and is now actively looking for a new managerial role, having recently held discussions with several clubs.

And for Jansen, whatever team he ends up at, safeguarding the mental health of his players is a key priority.

He said: “Because of my own experiences, as a manager it’s paramount players are feeling good about themselves.

“Rather than giving long team talks, I like to go round the whole team and chat to them individually. ‘You’re going to win this game for us – you’re brilliant’. ‘You’re a genius, I think you’re going to have a great game’.

“It’s about nurturing what makes them tick.

“But it’s also about spotting the warning signs, where a player might be going through something he feels he’s not able to share with the team.

“I’ve lived through that, and I want to help others in the future, while also working closely with the PFA.”

The PFA say that since January, 355 professionals have accessed therapy – the highest number ever recorded by the end of a season.

The figure for the whole of 2018 was 438, having risen from 160 in 2016.

Jansen’s autobiography is due out now.

For more information visit www.polarispublishing.com/book/matt_jansen