Southampton defender Jan Bednarek has spoken to the media about his struggle with intense fan-hate. Courageously, he has accepted help from psychologists.

As fans, it is increasingly easy to forget that players are human beings too. This is because the gap between fans and the players has increased in the modern world, leading fans to view players as untouchable and godly.

This is all well and good, when things are going right. However, when things are going wrong for players, it is often the case that they can get caught up in the loop of intense fan hate. This was certainly the case for Jan Bednarek.

Speaking out on his situation, the Polish defender Jan Bednarek has admitted to accepting help from psychologists, after intense criticism with Southampton and the Poland national team.

In his own words (translated from Polish to English), Bednarek said: “I think it’s very important and there is nothing to be ashamed of, that I have sought help from psychologists.”

Bednarek claims that it was important for him to recognise his worth as both a player and a human being. Despite receiving criticism from fans, Bednarek worked hard to regain his self-esteem.

Bednarek continued: “I worked with two psychologists who helped me a lot and gave me that self-esteem that I’m not really that bad after all and made me understand that what I do inside the team and for myself, for my family is more important than what people think of me, who I don’t really have any contact with.”

Fans should not get it twisted. Jan Bednarek has said that he is not immune to criticism. In fact, he said that it’s invaluable to learn from constructive criticism from those who have achieved a lot in football. However, what Bednarek is campaigning for is to stop “rudeness” and “belittling” players.

This is something that it pretty impossible to disagree with. The current generation is raised with mental health values which everybody can learn from.

After all, while players may feel untouchable to us fans, it does not mean our words do not filter through. Therefore, it is important to remember the messaging we are putting across.

If anything, Jan Bednarek’s comments serve as a great reminder and it is refreshing to see a player at the top level speak about his mental health so openly. Without a doubt, it will inspire many people who may have struggled to seek help for themselves to do the same as Jan Bednarek.

We are delighted that Jan Bednarek had the courage, not only to seek help, but use his platform to speak about it. That’s the truest definition of a Saint.