Robbie Savage

Robbie Savage is one of the most recognisable former professional footballers in the UK. Now working as a TV and radio presenter and pundit, Robbie played over 600 professional games for the likes of Leicester City, Derby County, and Birmingham City representing Wales on 39 occasions. His football career brought many ups and downs which impacted his mental health and during his speaking events, he regularly discusses these moments.

An energetic yet controversial midfielder, Robbie is perhaps best known for his time in the Premier League for Leicester, Birmingham, and Blackburn. In 2000 he was part of the Leicester team that won the League Cup under Martin O’Neill. Another career highlight was his time spent at Derby County. Despite his controversial nature, he was given the honour of captaining the East Midlands side and arguably played his best football for the club winning the team’s Player of the Year in 2011.

Now, Robbie is one of the most popular faces in sports broadcasting regularly appearing on football coverage for both BBC Sport and BT Sport. As well as this he hosts fan phone-in radio show 606 and his charismatic engaging and sometimes divisive views a big hit with audiences. 2020 has also seen Robbie contribute to the investment of Macclesfield FC, the phoenix club of Macclesfield Town who were sadly dissolved due to financial reasons.

Alongside his broadcasting commitments, Robbie regularly uses his experiences to inspire others in mental health speaking engagements. Having lost his father to Pick’s disease in 2012 he is able to discuss grief openly. He has also admitted to seeing a doctor for his mental illnesses, hoping to encourage others who are suffering from mental health issues to speak out and get the help they need. Declaring that he feels insecure away from the camera’s, Robbie shows that although he is a celebrity he is no stranger to the challenges of mental illness and encourages everyone to speak out and not suffer in silence like many have, in not only his sport but in day to day life too. Also touched by the death of his former fellow player Gary Speed, Robbie is passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the valuable help they need and has also fronted the Not a Red Card campaign which tackles stigma surrounding the topic of mental health.