The After-Career Consultation (ACC) was developed to empower the physical, mental
and social health of retired professional footballers and effectively address their
specific health challenges. The objective of this study was to describe the clinical
outcomes (e.g., prevalence of health conditions) and recommendations to retired professional
footballers who undertook the ACC. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Forty-seven
retired male professional footballers underwent ACCs. 10 participants had a diagnosis
of OA (21.3%), 4 (8.5%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder,
7 (14.9%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of depression, and 7 (14.9%) met the criteria
for Stage 1 hypertension. Health-related quality of life scores amongst retired footballers
undergoing the ACC were above average compared to the general population. Clinical
recommendations were made to participants in relation to their musculoskeletal (n=12,
25.5%), cardiovascular (n=12, 25.5%), mental (n=10, 21.3%) and lifestyle (n=20, 42.6%)
health. Eleven participants (23.4%) were referred for further investigations, and
secondary referral to other specialists was arranged for 4 (8.5%). Participants reported
high satisfaction with the ACC. The ACC could complement existing player welfare strategies
to provide a well-rounded approach to managing the long-term health of professional
footballers throughout the lifespan.
