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England's football idol Bobby Charlton - he is also affected
Photo: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
Bobby Charlton is the most prominent case.
The English football icon suffers from dementia - not least his fate has sparked a broad debate in England about the possible connection between certain types of sport and dementia.
This connection is now being systematically investigated on the island.
A six-month scientific study by the state-run Alzheimer's Research UK is to investigate whether sports such as football or rugby with intensive physical contact increase the risk of brain damage in old age.
This is reported by the British BBC.
Charlton was the fifth English soccer world champion in 1966 to suffer from dementia.
Previously, his brother Jack Charlton and his teammates Nobby Stiles, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson had died as a result of the disease.
Former rugby stars are also affected, Steve Thompson and Alix Poham.
In 2019, an English study by brain researcher Willie Stewart found that former footballers are three times as likely to suffer from brain diseases than the average population.
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