Nigerian footballer, Alex Iwobi has urged men not to be afraid of being vulnerable.
The Everton star stated that most young Black men are witnessing lots of trauma which they are not able to express because they would be seen as weak.
Commenting on how moving from Arsenal to Everton and then failing to qualify for the World Cup has impacted him during an exhibition in London to raise awareness around mental health, Iwobi urged men to always open up and express even their vulnerable side.
He said;
“Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.
“I feel like it is something within men, especially Black men, as society is positioned not do that and if you do you are weak. Be OK being vulnerable, there is nothing wrong with it.
“It is only going through life and there is so much trauma in young Black men [you learn] that if you only speak about, it you’d be able to navigate it.
“There is nothing wrong with telling people ‘I’m not all right in the world. I’m just not in the right space’.
“Playing football is a big one because you are not dealing with the issue at hand, it is still there and you escape it but it is still with you.”