Former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams has revealed that he wants to set up a nationwide network of counsellors for football players with problems.

Adams, who founded charity Sporting Chance 12 years ago, wants to work with the Professional Footballers Association to help players with issues such as depression and alcoholism, among other problems.

The initiative will have a House of Commons launch at the end of the month and Adams knows the need for such a scheme only too well.

"The aims of Sporting Chance are threefold - education, residential care and after-care," Adams told the Daily Mail.

"That includes one-to-one counselling. But it's been an issue for me in the last few years, it has not been good enough. I know how valuable seeing a counsellor is from my own experience.

"We recommend that people go to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) but they also should get a connection with a therapist throughout the UK."

The initiative already has several former players, who have trained as counsellors, working around the country.