Three things former Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers midfielder John Stiles hopes to achieve with 'desperation' decision to sue FIFA and FA

His father, 1966 World Cup winner Nobby, died in October 2020 aged 78. His brain was donated to Dr Willie Stewart who found widespread chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive disease caused by repeated blows to the head.

Stiles is one of a group of people suing the Football Association, their Welsh counterparts, world governing body FIFA and lawmakers the International Football Association Board to get more help for the families of sufferers and reduce the risks for future generations.

Stiles is one of more than 30 former players to have turned to law firm Rylands, also acting for over 300 former rugby union and league players pursuing similar claims.

"It’s just desperation, really," he told The Yorkshire Post. "It's over two years since dad died. We've campaigned, we've written letters, tried to get the authorities to help the families and educate the current players but we're just hitting brick walls. We hope it makes them do something.

"Football's done the damage so football should be looking after them. It's got enough money.

"I want a fund to take care of long-term health-care costs, which is the big one everyone needs.

"The PFA (players union the Professional Footballers’ Association) are a disgrace, they're not fit for purpose so we can't count on them. It's them that should be doing this.

"We want to educate the players. I don't want to stop them heading the ball but they need to be informed.

"And the third thing we want is to see if anything can be done to help with this ticking time-bomb. I speak a lot to former pros who are a similar age to me and they're all terrified.

"A lot of them think they're already starting to show symptoms.

"This is just the last resort.

"We're hoping this will jolt them into recognising this epidemic of CTE/dementia in football. I have no doubt CTE is everywhere there's heading.

"In the coming years it will be seen as a national disgrace. It's like the tobacco companies and lung cancer."

Stiles does not know the identity of his fellow litigants, but expects the numbers to reach "hundreds".