Former Biba player talks about mental health: Every time he plays, he is under great pressure and is afraid of losing the chance to play due to poor performance.

Recently, former Athletic Bilbao player Villalivere participated in Radio Searle's "Long Pass" program. In the interview, he talked about mental health issues and the fears he experienced in his career.

When asked if he had ever preferred his teammates not to pass the ball to him for fear of making mistakes, Villalivere said bluntly: "Yes, I am not ashamed of it. When I didn't have much playing time, I felt a lot of pressure every time I played because I knew if my performance was not good If I don't play well, I end up being afraid of even catching the ball because I doubt myself."

"You have doubts about how to handle the ball, what to do next, and sometimes you even avoid it...I know that sounds like it. There is a bit of a contradiction, as a striker, you want to score goals, but at the same time you are worried about being too outstanding. Such a psychological burden can be difficult to bear, and this self-imposed fear can also affect those around you. Fortunately, with help I learned how to face it and overcome it, although it was a very complicated process. "

It was by overcoming these difficulties that Villalivere became a key player for Alaves and scored a key goal two seasons ago (via a penalty kick and in the last minute) to help the team successfully advance to La Liga.

He said: "People often say that the most important quality of top athletes is physical fitness, but I think we cannot make progress without a good mentality. Even when we are in good condition, if the mentality is not good, everything will become difficult."

Finally, when asked if he had ever doubted his ability, Villalivere once again showed an admirable honesty: "There were indeed difficult moments, and I even doubted whether I had enough. level, or whether football is really for me. However, when you realize that you have devoted years to doing what you love most, you realize that this is just an occasional psychological fluctuation. "

"As an introvert, it took me a long time to get out of my comfort zone, but now moving to Racing Santander has given me the motivation to keep going. Whenever I encounter a setback, I remind myself that I am still recognized and supported by people, which strengthens my determination to continue playing football. "