Manchester United's Daniel James opens mental health conversation following father's death

It has been a rough year for Manchester United winger Daniel James. The speedy Welsh winger made a £15 million move to Manchester United in the summer of 2019. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was forced to throw Daniel James into the deep, courtesy of injuries. However, the former Hull City prodigy hit the ground running at Old Trafford. This feat is even more impressive when you consider that Daniel James' father unexpectedly passed away just before he made his dream move to Manchester United. 

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Manchester United winger Daniel James opens conversation on mental health after losing his father

Daniel James is a man on a mission. It is evident by his performances on the pitch for the Red Devils. However, outside the field, the Welsh winger has taken it upon himself to urge people to open up on their mental health issues. Earlier this month, Daniel James paid a visit to a Place 2 Place five-a-side league game at Wigan. He wanted to witness the positive effect football can have in opening the door on mental health conversations.

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The Place 2 Place five-a-side league was set up by a man named Peter Hill two years ago. It was after a close friend of his took his own life after a long battle with mental illness. In the months that followed, his friend's stepfather and brother also took their own lives. The shock from that incident (it all happened in 18 months) prompted Peter Hill to set up a group in order to urge people to open up and speak out on their mental health issues. 

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In an interview on his visit to the facility in Wigan, Daniel James said that he was amazed by the way football was bringing everyone together. “I’ve met some great people here, everyone’s so warm and nice. I think, from going around, everyone was really enjoying themselves, and they had the intervals where they could talk about their own problems. I think that’s unbelievable, and not really heard of," he said.

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