Punjab United boss Chipie Sian brings in psychologist to give his players' a chance to open up about their mental health issues

PUNJAB UNITED owner/manager Chipie Sian has revealed the reasons behind hiring a psychologist.

Georgia Dawson, who is the partner of left-back Stephen Ratcliff, has been brought into the Gravesend based non-league club to look after the players’ mental health and wellbeing.

Dobson is the first psychologist working in the Southern Counties East Football League, which is tiers nine and 10 on the English football ladder.

“She’s been talking to the players’ for the last few months, she’s been excellent,” said Sian, whose side sit in the bottom four in the Premier Division with 24 points from 28 games.

“I’m interested in the things she does and what she’s studying and she wanted to help the club and offer her services to us.

“To be honest, I don’t think people realise the mental health of players', I feel we never really look at players’ and think they’ve got issues outside of football. We always look at them inside football but we try to treat them like a family at Punjab and that’s why everyone loves the club and wants to be a part of it and to have Georgia talking to them one-on-one and see the issues they really have got outside football it helps me to then judge the players and talk to the players and how to handle them really because we do have lives outside of football and sometimes managers forget.

“Yes, results are great but they’re dealing with human beings and everyone’s fragile aren’t they?”

Sian who works in the construction industry, based just a goal-kick away from Ebbsfleet United’s stadium on Stonebridge Road, has enlisted Dawson’s help outside of football too.

“People have got different jobs and have different relationships at home and some people need to let it out and talking to someone they don’t know, from outside whose studying mental health and awareness, I think they’ve opened up.

“The great thing is I’ve taken her into my own business and she’s talking to all of my staff and workers out on site.  It’s amazing when some of my workers have been here for 15-16 years’ and expressed their problems, they want to speak to her again on a weekly basis.

“She’s been fantastic. Every club should have it. I know we’re very lucky and I hope it helps our players.”