CARDS’ manager Darren Sarll believes that mental-health awareness will become part of the curriculum for young coaches embarking on a career in football. 

 At The Laithwaite Community Stadium on Monday, Sarll will give a talk highlighting the importance of mental-health training.

Darren Sarll: My Expeience With Mental Health, an event organised by the Surrey FA, will take place from 7pm to 9pm on 16 January. Entry is a £5 donation to charity.

Sarll told the News & Mail: “Mental-health training is going to become part of coaches’ education. 

“It has to, because the world is developing in a different way now than it was when I started as a young coach. We’re going to have to become more aware of the impact that mental health has on players, coaches, parents etc.

“Wherever I’ve worked, I’ve always tried to support the county’s FA with coach education because this is year 24 for me now as a full-time coach – so if I can help in any way, I like doing that. So when I came to Surrey [as Woking manager in March], I reached out to the county’s FA.

“Because of my experience at Yeovil Town with the suicide of my captain [Lee Collins], I said to the Surrey FA that if I could help or support coaches in particular, then I would be more than happy to do so.”

For the full interview, see the 12 January issue of the News & Mail.