CHERRIES defender Adam Smith has offered his opinion on the new heading restrictions being implemented into football training, insisting: “I think it’s brilliant."

The recommendations will limit footballers to 10 “higher-force” headers a week in training amid continued investigations into all potential health risks associated with consistently heading a football, which could include dementia.

Higher-force headers were defined in a joint statement by the authorities as “typically headers following a long pass (more than 35m) or from crosses, corners and free-kicks”.

The recommendations go into further detail and stipulate both professional and amateur areas of the game, in one of the biggest shake-ups in how football training will operate that we’ve seen.

English football clubs may be required to significantly change their training methods, although it did point out that the majority of headers involve “low forces”.

But amid the uncertainty, Cherries’ Smith, 30, was clear in suggesting he believes that the changes are a good idea, telling talkSPORT: “I think it’s brilliant.

“I don’t think it will change too much to be honest, especially after the gaffer here we’re very much a passing team, that’s all we really do. We don’t really head that much in training but I think it’s a brilliant idea.

“It is something that has been going on for a while, my friend Ryan (Mason) obviously had that accident with his head and I’ve had a few concussions as well and protocols I don’t think have been brilliant, but in the past year or so it's going in the right direction.

“In the games, especially in the Championship, it’s all you do going up for headers. And if you’re doing that in training too I can’t see how that’s going to help after retirement, so I think it’s definitely a good idea.”

Multiple studies were undertaken in recent months, by a subgroup of the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee, which involved players from Liverpool’s under-23, under-18 and women’s teams, and Manchester City’s under-18 and women’s teams.

It was the sad death of former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle in 2002 from degenerative brain disease that saw the spotlight shone on the possibility of a link between heading footballs and the risk of dementia.

Bournemouth Echo: The Jeff Astle Gates outside The Hawthorns (Picture: PA)The Jeff Astle Gates outside The Hawthorns (Picture: PA)

But 2019-2020 saw the tragic losses of further high-profile names such as Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles and Jack Charlton – all of whom had been living with a degenerative disease such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Although significant changes that some feel could potentially alter the landscape of football will always be met with differing views, evidence to suggest a change is needed has mounted.

Smith added: “It’s probably a bit too late for me now but for the younger lads I think it’s a great idea, they do need to look into it more and like you said about the training I think it’s good to restrict it.

“With the games I don’t think it will ever stop (heading), but I think in training yeah it could go that way. I think in the academy here they’re not allowed to head the ball until a certain age, I think that’s been going on a few seasons and I think it’s a great idea for the club to do that.

“I’ve got a son and if he got into football I wouldn’t want him to head the ball so young so I think it’s a great idea for the club to do that and one that needs to be looked into for sure.”