Rangers defender Connor Goldson wants to see more heart testing of pro footballers
Thursday 11 April 2019 23:01, UK
Rangers defender Connor Goldson has called on football's authorities to do more to protect players - two years after he underwent life-saving heart surgery.
Goldson was diagnosed with a heart problem when he was a Brighton player, after a routine test revealed a defect.
And he said: "Testing has to be done more often, and I said this at the time.
"I was lucky that Brighton do it every two years - their medical department makes sure the players do it.
"But at other football clubs it does not have to be done, and the lower leagues and abroad, I don't know how often it has to be done.
"But I feel like it should be done yearly, or every two years maximum, just to make sure.
"Athletes put our bodies through so much over the course of a season, not just matches but training every day, gym every day, our diets.
"I just feel like the associations should surely have to do more to protect us."
Goldson is backing the work of the Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland charity and their new Health Defence project, which is based in Glasgow.
The project aims to reduce the risk of stroke, chest and heart conditions and tackle health inequalities across Scotland.
