Playing football was likely to have directly contributed to the death of a former professional, a coroner has ruled.
Former Watford, Luton and Portsmouth defender Alan Garner collapsed and died at his Bedfordshire home in July at the age of 69.
While the primary cause of his death was a brain haemorrhage, the coroner's narrative verdict added that it was 'likely that injuries sustained during his football career contributed'.
For almost a decade, Garner's family believed he was suffering from mental health issues caused by repetitive heading of the ball during his career as a no-nonsense defender.