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Former Nottingham Forest and Arsenal man Viv Anderson launches initiative to reduce number of ex-players suffering depression

Viv Anderson has launched an initiative to bring down the staggering number of former players who suffer depression or financial problems when they retire.

Figures in Alan Gernon's book 'Retired: What Happens to Footballers When the Game's Up' show that 35 per cent of ex-professionals will go through depression once they have hung up their boots.

Two out of every five Premier League stars - who earn an average of £46,000 a week - face the threat of bankruptcy within five years of retiring, and a third will be divorced a year after they finish playing.