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Men’s football Gary Lineker getting his brain tested for dementia

GARY LINEKER says he will get extra checks on his brain for signs of dementia.

Research has found that former professional footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die from a brain disorder than the general population, and an inquiry was launched by Parliament this month into sport’s link to dementia.

Lineker, who has previously suggested a complete ban on heading in training, joined talkSPORT radio for a Dementia in Football documentary and revealed he and Match of the Day colleagues Alan Shearer and Ian Wright fear they could end up with a brain disorder.

“I’ve had conversations with Alan Shearer and Ian Wright and others about the worry that, come 10, 15 years, that it might happen to one of us,” said the 60-year-old former England captain turned broadcaster.

“The odds suggest that it probably will. I have regular health checks, including the brain. So far everything is OK.

“I’ll have my triannual test this summer and ask if there’s anything they can establish around the brain, because I don’t see how, given the circumstances, any footballer wouldn’t be worried about it.”

Geoff Hurst said this week he understands why former players are reluctant to participate in studies to examine links between playing the game and an increased risk of dementia, for fear of what they might discover.

Four of Hurst’s 1966 World Cup-winning teammates — Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson — have died with dementia, while Bobby Charlton was diagnosed with the condition last year.

But England manager Gareth Southgate is taking part in a study looking at the potential links between dementia and playing the game, and has called on other former professionals to join him.

Footballer-turned-pundit Chris Kamara revealed today that he was going for a scan next week.

Speaking on Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch programme, Kamara said: “I’m going for a scan next Monday. We talked about it [dementia] on the programme, I went home and she [his wife, Anne] said: ‘You’re all blase, aren’t you? You think you’ve had a fabulous career, if it all ended tomorrow, that would be fine.’

“She said: ‘What about the grandkids, what about me? Go and get it checked, there might be something you can do.’”

On possible changes to football, Lineker said: “Do you want to take heading out of the game? No, I don’t think so, but you can take heading out of training, or limit it massively.

“Exercises where defenders are heading it clear, crosses are sent in and players are heading the ball away and at goal repeatedly — bang, bang, bang — most damage will probably be done then.

“In a match, how many times would you head it? Not that many.

“If I had known what I know now, I would have certainly limited the amount of heading I did.”

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