Rangers manager Steven Gerrard agrees more needs to be done to tackle the link between dementia and football - but admits he favours an alternative approach to barring youngsters heading the ball.
The Ibrox boss was speaking after reports emerged the Scottish Football Association (SFA) were to launch a groundbreaking ban on children under the age of 12 heading footballs during training sessions.
The BBC reported plans were to be put forward in response to a landmark university study revealing professional footballers were three and a half times more likely to die after developing neurodegenerative conditions.
READ MORE: Scottish FA could ban youngsters from heading footballs 'within weeks'
But former Liverpool and England captain Gerrard said a blanket ban on an integral part of the game was not necessary and suggested the introduction of lighter footballs as an alternative to the proposals.
He said: “It’s certainly something I back in terms of the seriousness of the dementia risk. But there’s ways you can do it when it comes to the debate over banning heading totally for under 12s.
“I used to love heading balls, probably from the age of four.
“So I wouldn’t take it away from them completely because they will be watching their heroes every day on the TV, heading and scoring goals.
“But you can certainly things you can help them with by making the balls smaller or lighter or doing heading in a different way without using the heavy case balls.”
The new rules would mean those under the age of 12 would be prohibited from heading the ball during training sessions, but would not extend to matchdays.
A similar ban has been in force in the United States since 2015, however the BBC reports the SFA would be the first European football association to undertake such action.
It comes after research published by Glasgow University in October found former Scottish footballers were less likely to die of other common diseases such as heart disease and lung cancer but had a higher risk of dying with dementia after the age of 70.
Gerrard added: “The numbers are scary, they are alarming and that’s why I agree on the seriousness with which this issue is being taken.
“But I also think we can do it in different ways without using your normal match-day balls every single day when you’re talking about these babies or under 14s.”
READ MORE: 'Ex-footballers at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's and MND'
“We certainly do need to help them, for sure.”
He continued: “You can still have them heading balls to work on their technique, the timing of going to jump, positions to attack – but you have sponge balls and volley balls that wouldn’t have the impact that a normal ball would have.
“In the football family, we all have to analyse what is the best way because we don’t want to affect development – but we do have to take it seriously because the numbers are too high.”
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