Thursday 16 January 2020 16:03, UK
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard supports changes allowing young players to head the ball but is against an all-out ban.
Gerrard agrees the dementia issue needs to be tackled but favours an alternative approach to the reported plans for a total ban of heading for players under the age of 12 in Scotland.
A University of Glasgow study, cited in a statement by brain injury association Headway, found that professional football players have a higher risk of "neurodegenerative diseases than the general public" and that "there does seem to be merits in considering such a move (a ban)".
Gerrard said: "It's certainly something I back in terms of the seriousness of the dementia risk. But there are ways you can do it when it comes to the debate over banning heading totally for under 12s.
"I used to love heading balls, probably from the age of four.
"So I wouldn't take it away from them completely because they will be watching their heroes every day on the TV, heading and scoring goals.
"But you can certainly things you can help them with by making the balls smaller or lighter or doing heading in a different way without using the heavy case balls."
