When they replied “no,” the Duke said: “I agree with you. The bit I have always found difficult is the skills you learn in the forces don’t translate into civvy life. We can get better at translating these skills.”

“Does the military do enough to prepare you for the civvy life?” he asked.

The Duke sat down with military veterans and heard about the anxiety and depression that some of them faced and their struggles to adjust to civilian life.

One of the charity’s mental health projects is Everton Veterans Hub, which uses sport to engage and support ex-service personnel.

The Duke of Cambridge has said the military does not do enough to prepare personnel for civilian life. The Duke, a former Army officer and RAF helicopter pilot, was visiting Everton Football Club’s official charity, Everton in the Community, in Liverpool, where he spoke to players including Theo Walcott, Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin about the pressures on their mental health.

He praised the men who attend the group as being the “recce team” for those who might follow them. “You can see who’s in the community and falling through the net,” he added.”

The Duke was visiting the club to promote the Heads Up mental health initiative.

He said that despite great efforts by clubs such as Everton, there was “still a long way to go.”

The Duke heard that despite the wealth and privileges top sportsmen can enjoy, they still faced the same pitfalls as many others.

Calvert-Lewin told him, “One thing that you cannot prepare for is the opinions of thousands and thousands of people. You cannot please all of the people all the time. We have had a tough time for two or three seasons, and we have had to help each other through that. Having that foundation helps us to get through it and crack on.”

The Duke acknowledged that there was “fan pressure, emotional pressure and peer pressure” and expressed hope that Heads Up would be unrolled across all clubs at all levels in the mental health space.

“We have got to get passed the idea of getting as much out of a player and then move them on,” he said, adding that he hoped there would be a more holistic approach to supporting players and their families

He said: “Quite a lot of guys have difficulties in their heads and are still great at football.

“Just think if you could cure what’s going up here [he pointed to his head] what an even better player you would be.”

Heads Up was launched last May with the aim of using football - “one of the most powerful, unifying forces in our society” to start what the Duke hopes will be the “biggest ever conversation” on mental health.