Scotland appears likely to become the first country in Europe to ban children from heading a football during games following a report linking the sport to dementia.

Scottish football’s governing body is considering the move after experts at Glasgow University found former professional players were three and a half times more likely to die of it than people of the same age in the general population.

A ban on children under 12 heading the ball has been in place in the United States for five years.

The news emerged after two more former footballers revealed they were suffering from the condition.

The family of Peter Cormack, the ex-Hibernian and Liverpool player, said they believed his condition was linked to his playing days, while George Reilly, who played in the 1984 FA Cup final for Watford, said he had been left without any help from the game since being diagnosed.