Not for the first time, and I’m sure not for the last, Hector Bellerin has given a hugely interesting, thought-provoking interview in which he reiterates once again that some footballers can do more than run a lot and kick a ball well.
Following his excellent sit-down with the Oxford Union earlier this year, he’s spoken to the official website about the importance of using his platform to try and make a difference when it comes to things like mental health and the environment.
He’s often been criticised for supposedly caring more about fashion than football, something he comprehensively puts to bed in the interview above, and in the latest piece he shows once more that he’s a smart, thoughtful young man when discussing topics that most players avoid.
Asked why he felt footballers tend to stay quiet on important day to day issues, he said, “I feel like the football industry is an industry where we have to be really quiet and play.
“I think the code around it is that footballers can’t really do anything else other than kick a ball.
“This is kind of the stereotype, so when there’s a footballer who’s stepping out of the box he’s always seen as someone that is not focused enough on football because he’s doing this, he’s doing that.
“As I always say, we have so much time and we’re humans so we have issues and worries. We should push these things.
“A lot of players have come out talking about mental health for example. This has always been something that has been very taboo to talk about, especially for men.
“After that, I know that Danny Rose had to talk about it. All these issues which, back in the day there was a stigma for men to talk about it or there was a stigma as a group of people, as footballer to talk about these things.
“It’s important that we take these chains off and start talking about it moving forward with an open mind.”