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Townsend: It's important to talk about mental health

8 Feb 2020

Crystal Palace winger urges people to open up about their issues and not bottle them up

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Today marks the start of two weekends in which the Premier League and the rest of England's football family kick off a conversation about mental health, in support of the "Heads Up Weekends" launched by HRH The Duke of Cambridge this week.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend joined The Duke as well as Watford's Troy DeeneyManchester United's Scott McTominay, Wycombe Wanderers' Adebayo Akinfenwa and Chelsea's Fran Kirby to encourage people to open up about their mental health problems.

"Speaking to other people about it is the most difficult thing about it," says Townsend. "The big message for me to get across now is to speak about it and not letting it eat you up inside and making sure it's out in the open so people can help you and you're not bottling it up inside."

"Don't suffer in silence," says Deeney. "Get in touch with local help, family and friends, or come through the Heads-Up campaign or, worst-case scenario, DM me and I'll message back and we'll have a conversation.

"We can always talk, we can always grow - just don't feel alone."

See: How clubs backed Heads Up Weekends

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