William Gallas has called for players to be given more support after Richarlison revealed he would seek psychological help.
The Tottenham forward was in tears during his recent appearance with the Brazilian national team and said he had been struggling with issues off the pitch.
Since then, his club manager Ange Postecoglou has said that the former Everton striker would be given support, and speaking to Genting Casino, erstwhile Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal defender Gallas said that more should be done to help players with the pressure they are under.
He said: "I think that football fans forget players are really young. What is happening in football right now, it’s killing the young players. Football has changed so much over the last few years – there is more scrutiny on players than ever before.
“Players are earning lots and lots of money before they make their debuts. Young guys who are 17 and 18 are earning life-changing sums of money before they have even started their professional careers.
“It can be very difficult for the young players to deal with so much money. It’s crucial that young footballers have the right people around them, the right friends and family, but there will always be people who are looking to take advantage of a player’s situation and influence their decisions. There will always be people looking to take advantage of a player’s financial situation.
“For players from certain countries, it can be even more difficult. The South American guys can struggle. Some of the players are responsible for their entire families. Some of these families are suffering and a player will always want to help them.
“I think the football industry needs to think more about player welfare and supporting players that have problems away from the pitch. It can be very difficult for players to focus on their job if there are problems in a players personal life. Families are families. Of course, footballers at the top level earn a lot of money, but some things are more important than that.
“Football has to be careful. Football has to be more open about talking and dealing with these types of problems and supporting players.
“There will always be people that are looking to take advantage of players. Richarlison isn’t the first and he won’t be the last. It is up to the authorities to help these players.”