Thursday 6 September 2018 14:45, UK
The EFL has spoken to Notts County and offered its support to help Matt Tootle overcome his struggles with gambling, Sky Sports News has learned.
The 27-year-old has previously discussed his mental health struggles and on Wednesday he publicly disclosed his long-term problem with gambling, saying it is "rife" in football.
County said on Wednesday evening that they have been helping Tootle with this issue, and would be liaising with the EFL.
The EFL launched its responsible gambling campaign in May. In addition to personal specialist support, it offers player education sessions at all 72 EFL clubs which aim to ensure all participants understand the potential risks associated with gambling, the rules around betting integrity, and to know how to look out for signs of potential harm in their team-mates.
Players across all three divisions of the EFL also wear sleeve badges with the slogan, "When the fun stops, stop".
NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has criticised foreign betting firms that sponsor Premier League football clubs, adding that eight out of the nine firms have not donated to an industry fund which pays for addicts' treatment.
Stevens has also urged the Premier League to speak with the clubs.
Former Derby County and Stoke defender Danny Higginbotham believes educating young players about the dangers of gambling is key to the issue, and also spoke of his own experience.
"I think the problem is when you talk about educating younger players. I think that's a huge thing the way that you educate young players," said Higginbotham, speaking on Match Centre.
"Young players have a considerable amount of money, a considerable amount of time on their hands and the one thing people will say about gambling is it gives you that buzz.
"But the problem is if you start losing, you start chasing. When I was younger, I remember when I was at Derby, I went through a little stage where I would go to the casino and I remember I had a really big win, and the best thing that ever happened to me was that I went back the next day and lost every single penny of it.
"So from my point of view, it was a really quick lesson."
