Throughout his playing career, Vinnie Jones became synonymous with blistering tackles, a no-nonsense attitude and the quintessential ‘hard man’ personality.
These days, however, the only battle the former Chelsea and Wimbledon midfielder wants to win is with mental health.
After making the transition from the field to the big screen—and taking part in film projects like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and The Gentlemen—Jones has become familiar with the ultimate burdens that come with success.
Exclusively spoken against Mailsporthe explained, “When you’re first starting out, it’s quite nice because there’s no pressure and there’s no expectations.
‘And it’s the same as when players start playing, like when Rooney started. There are no expectations from them.
Vinnie Jones has opened up about his battle with mental health as part of a new campaign
The Wimbledon and Chelsea legend sat down to discuss the burdens players can face
Jones was known as football’s ‘hard man’, but he has since gained a new outlook on life
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“But I said to someone yesterday, we build them all up and so there’s only one way for them to go most of the time: fall off. You know?
‘And it’s the same with the football fans, it’s not just the footballers – let’s make no mistake. We have people who go to watch the matches who have just as many problems in life as these professional football players.
‘Some professional footballers earn £200,000 a week and there may be people with the same problems, earning £200 a week. The problem is still the same.’
Having made more than 500 appearances throughout his playing career, Jones never shied away from the spotlight – which explains why he later switched to acting.
But even he admits that the modern footballer faces challenges he has never experienced, which is why he encourages both players and fans to talk more.
Jones continued: “Today these young footballers are rock stars. Now when young children and adults go to watch a football match, it’s like going to a concert.
“Whether it’s Queen, or The Who, or Madonna, or whoever it is, if they go to a game on Saturday, that’s their release. That’s their happy time, you know, and these guys are rock stars now! So I think the clubs are doing a lot more now.
‘In my time, this kind of advice did not exist. You know, as young men we handled everything on our own. We didn’t talk.
Jones argued that modern footballers – such as Jude Bellingham – have become akin to ‘rock stars’
Jones offered advice to four Chelsea players as part of a campaign with the Samaritans
“Fash (John Fashanu) was my room partner and we never talked about things, we kind of kept it bottled up, you know. That’s why I think it’s great that me and Tyson Fury are leading the way in saying to guys, ‘You know, the real men can talk about things.’
While Jones may have shied away from discussing his own past experiences, the 59-year-old currently admits he has come a long way in his own mental health care.
‘I left eleven years ago to visit someone. I paid a professor in LA to talk to me – I did it on my own.
‘So I think that there should be people on the work floor, for the supporters and fans, but also at the football clubs, where they can go. They are in prisons!
“I had to go talk to a psychologist and it was like throwing a big canvas bag off my back.”
Jones admitted that his drinking habits led to him feeling “numb” throughout his playing career
Jones elaborated further on what led him to talk to a professional, saying, “Drinking just started to bother me so much. Why did I drink like that? Because I wasn’t really a drinker growing up.
“I didn’t get into that cult state until the 1990s, you know. It wasn’t until a year after I left Chelsea that they brought some Italians and stuff, and (Dennis) Wisey said to me, ‘You can’t believe the difference in cultures.’
‘Me and Wisey ran the players’ lounge at Chelsea and closed it within a year! The Italians thought it was madness.
“But I think this was a way for us to numb everything. Everything was numb.”
Three encourages football fans from across the country to share Vinnie’s ‘team talk’ across their social and support networks. For more information about #TalkMoreThanFootball and to watch Vinnie’s team’s full conversation, visit Three’s social channels – @ThreeUK on Instagram, @ThreeUK on X, @ThreeUK on TikTok or Three UK on YouTube.