The Scottish FA are considering banning children from heading the ball due to links between football and dementia.

BBC Scotland report the ban will be announced “within weeks” for children at under-12 level and below.

The move comes after the United States put a similar ban in place in 2015, and the SFA are set to emerge as the first European country to impose such a restriction.

The decision follows the release of a report by the University of Glasgow last October, which discovered former professional footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of a degenerative brain disease.

Former Arsenal and Celtic striker John Hartson praised the Scottish FA for their stance on the subject.

John Hartson has backed the move from the SFA (Getty)

He told the BBC: “Heading was a massive part of my game. Managers bought me because I could head the ball.

“There have been some serious situations where players have lost their lives and ex-legends suffering from dementia.