Plenty of well-known footballers have talked about being neurodivergent, and at least one has had a diagnosis pinned on him that turned out not to be true. Here are five of their stories, what they actually said, and why it matters.
1. Lionel Messi: the autism rumour
For years, a rumour has claimed that Lionel Messi is autistic. The story first spread widely in 2014, when Argentina reached the World Cup final, and claimed that Messi had been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as a child.
The claim is not true. Messi’s family denied it soon after it began circulating, and his personal doctor has stated that he has never been diagnosed with Asperger’s or any form of autism. As a child, Messi was known for being very shy off the pitch, and he is said to have been given the nickname ‘el pequeño mudito’, meaning ‘the little mute’ in Spanish. But shyness is not the same as autism, and the story is a useful reminder that guessing at someone’s diagnosis does little to help autistic people. If you want to understand how autism really shows up in everyday working life, our guide to autism in the workplace is a good place to start.
2. Steven Naismith: dyslexia
Steven Naismith, who played for Everton and the Scottish national team, has been open about being dyslexic. He has said that his dyslexia made school difficult, yet it has also shaped the work ethic that served him so well in his football career.
School was a struggle for him, but football rewards fast, analytical thinking, and he was very good at it. In one interview, Naismith shared an anecdote from a game against Arsenal, describing how, in the moment, he weighed up the chances of Romelu Lukaku scoring, the likelihood of the goalkeeper saving the attempt and a range of other variables before making his decisive move. That is a lot of calculation to fit into a split second.
Naismith’s story shows how dyslexia is a difference that can come with real strengths. You can read more about how those strengths show up at work in our guide to dyslexia in the workplace, and find out more about the condition from the British Dyslexia Association.
3. Paul Merson: ADHD
Former Arsenal and England player Paul Merson has been one of football’s most honest voices on mental health and addiction, and in recent years he has also spoken about ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
While making a 2021 documentary about his gambling addiction, Merson underwent clinical testing and was told he may have ADHD. He said the news came as a surprise at the age of 53, and reflected that he played his football the way he did everything else. His experience is a familiar one for many adults who only begin to understand how their brain works later in life.
Hearing a former England player talk about this so plainly matters, in a sport where people rarely discuss how their brains work. If his story sounds familiar, our article on signs you might have undiagnosed ADHD as an adult is worth a read, or you can take our free ADHD test.
4. Tim Howard: Tourette’s syndrome
Tim Howard, the former Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper and USA international, was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at around nine or ten years old, alongside OCD and hyperactivity. He has spoken openly about how hard school and sitting still could be, and how football felt different because on the pitch he was judged on what he did in goal. He described the sport as “my freedom” on the UTD Podcast.
Howard went on to have a long Premier League career and became a high-profile advocate, helping change how people see Tourette’s. Tourettes Action has more information on the condition in the UK.
5. Sam Allardyce: dyslexia
Sam Allardyce, the former footballer and well-known manager, has talked openly about his dyslexia and how it affected him in football.
Allardyce’s dyslexia went undiagnosed while he was at school, where he didn’t get the support he needed and left without the exam results he wanted. Despite those early hurdles, he built a successful career as a player and later as a highly regarded manager. Anyone who had a rough time at school will recognise some of his story.
His career is a good answer to anyone who still assumes dyslexia limits what people can do. Dyslexic people often bring real strengths to strategic work, in football and well beyond it.
More stories you might enjoy
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like 8 famous actors with OCD, 10 famous neurodivergent women, 5 famous actors with ADHD and our piece on David Beckham opening up about OCD.
How Enna can help
Neurodivergent people bring real strengths to the teams they join, on the pitch and off it. If you’re after your next role, the Enna jobs board lists jobs with employers who value different ways of thinking, and you can register for job alerts to get new ones sent to you.
For employers, our Neurodiversity 101 training gives teams a practical grounding in ADHD, autism, dyslexia and Tourette’s, and in the support that actually helps. Book a call with our team and we’ll talk you through it.
