'My father played for Manchester United and loved everything about football, but it took him in the end'

Gordon McQueen’s family is urging for changes and better education regarding heading footballs after his inquest revealed it likely contributed to his brain injuries, which were factors in his passing. His daughter, Hayley McQueen, highlighted that her dad believed heading balls affected his brain and called for actions similar to those needed after Jeff Astle’s death in 2002, which also linked dementia to heading. She hopes her father’s legacy will spark reform to protect future players, stressing that football authorities must act. McQueen, who played for Manchester United and Leeds United, died in June 2023 at 70 due to pneumonia, exacerbated by vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The coroner concluded that while heading the ball likely contributed to his CTE, the cause of death was pneumonia. The family donated his brain for research aimed at understanding brain injuries in athletes, hoping to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News