Liverpool issue mental health advice to players urging them to focus on coronavirus avoidance

Liverpool have issued mental health advice to their players, telling them that what happens with the Premier League title is out of their control and they should focus on the effort to minimise coronavirus infection rates.

A presentation by the club’s sports psychologist Lee Richardson, seen by Sportsmail, also offers Jurgen Klopp’s men tips on breathing to ease anxiety levels and warns them not to post anything on social media that others could view as insensitive.

Before the outbreak of coronavirus triggered the suspension of football, Liverpool had surged to a 25-point lead over Manchester City and their 30-year title drought was on the verge of coming to an end.

Liverpool have sent mental health advice to players to stop them mulling over title uncertainty

Liverpool’s sports psychologist has given players breathing techniques to ease anxiety

The club have also told players to focus on minimising risk of coronavirus infections

While the plan remains to restart the season at some point and the likelihood of the campaign being rendered null and void is small, the uncertainty over the situation may have caused some concerns — which the presentation is aimed at allaying.

The self-help document is called ‘Mental Health & Well-being’ and was produced earlier this month. In a section titled ‘Acceptance and Control’, it states: ‘What happens with the decision of the Premier League or the direction the virus takes next is out of our control.

‘All we can control is our behaviour and our response to the challenge of keeping the most vulnerable safe and minimising infection rates.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were agonisingly close to sealing title before season was postponed

‘In focussing on the controllable and in accepting that which we cannot control, i.e. Premier League, government response, we give ourselves the best chance of overcoming the psychological challenge of keeping perspective. As the manager has said, football is not the most important thing. The health and safety of us all is far more important.’

Players are encouraged to ‘breathe with their bellies’ should they become stressed, with an emphasis placed on using the diaphragm.

Former Chesterfield manager and Watford, Blackburn and Oldham player Richardson recommends starting each day with a breathing regime should they be feeling anxious.

Lee Richardson has also offered players tips on how to avoid boredom during isolation

‘As you know, good regular teeth-brushing promotes good dental health and in the same way good regular diaphragm breathing promotes good mental health,’ he says. In a section on ‘Managing Isolation’, players are warned of the dangers of boredom and told to establish daily routines and use the opportunity caused by the crisis to spend time with family. They are also advised not to focus on the news or social media and to raise any concerns they may have with the club.

While retaining a sense of humour is encouraged, players are informed that many people will be losing loved ones so they run the risk of causing upset should they post anything which could be seen as insensitive on social media.

In an upbeat message, Klopp’s men are reassured that ‘we will come out of the other side of this’. They are told that normality will return but also to be ‘realistic that this will not be for some time’.

Richardson, 51, was brought to the club this season and the document is another example of Liverpool’s admirable attention to detail. Explaining his appointment in November, Klopp said: ‘It’s just an add-on for all the things we try to deliver. We try to make sure the boys are in the best hands. With Lee, the good thing is he was a player himself, a manager himself and then he decided to become a sports psychologist.

‘It is a really interesting career. He’s a fantastic person, which is important because then I don’t have to convince the boys to talk to him. It’s easy.

‘He is a really interesting person and so the boys enjoy that he is around and when you need him, you can use him.’