World Cup winner George Cohen is willing to donate his brain to science to aid research into dementia in ex-footballers.
A study published on Wednesday found that footballers who repeatedly head the ball can end up suffering from dementia.
Cohen, who played right-back when England won the World Cup at Wembley in 1966, and former Manchester United midfielder Pat Crerand have both agreed to have their brains examined after death to aid further research.
Speaking in the Daily Mirror, Cohen said: "Whatever will help, I mean why not? It's no use to me anymore at that stage.
"I suppose it's all down to the relatives - my wife Daphne says she wouldn't mind, and I certainly wouldn't mind.
"I wouldn't be aware of it so I don't see a reason for me to not want to, as long as my relatives are okay with it.
"It might not be as easy as that for some people and for some relatives, because it's not an easy time when you lose someone.
"If they've found there is a link to the illness then someone donating their brain is a good thing if it can help. I'm sure others would be happy to do it too."
On Wednesday Dawn Astle, daughter of former England and West Brom striker Jeff Astle, who died of a degenerative brain disease in 2002 aged 59, said a lack of action from football authorities was "indefensible and disgraceful."
Her response came after a small study in a group of retired footballers revealed blows to the head as a potential cause of dementia.
The brains of six of the 14 retired players involved in the research - none of whom have been identified - underwent post-mortem examinations and four were found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) pathology, while all six had signs of Alzheimer's disease.
CTE can cause dementia and, like Alzheimer's, is characterised by a build-up of abnormal tau protein in the brain.
The rate of CTE detected in the footballers' brains was greater than the 12 per cent average found in a previous study which looked at 268 brains from the general population.
And Cohen admitted he was not surprised that the heading of footballs had an adverse effect on the brain, as well as calling for a ban on under-10s heading the ball.
He added: "Think of those long, defensive headers - you put your neck and back into it all - but it's the head that takes the punishment.
"Over the years, god knows how many times you head the ball. Years ago these heavy balls were 14-to-16oz but with water on them they went up 25% in weight.
"If you're standing in a wall and you take that on the side of the head, you feel it immensely - it's not nice. It doesn't surprise me that over the years people are taking this issue more and more seriously.
"There's going to have to be something done with youngsters heading the ball.
"They are still just kids, usually under 10, when they start going to football schools and clubs, and they stand maybe two-to-three feet from each other heading the ball.
"At that early stage of development it might be a good idea not to have the ball headed, particularly the full-sized balls.
"I think under a certain age it would be a good idea to not to do it. It should be something that's agreed by medics, and I would agree with that.
"But it's a very worrying situation at the moment because you cannot play football without heading the ball."
Crerand, who was part of United's European Cup winning side in 1968, added: "How do you improve a situation like this? You're never going to know how to improve it without more testing and research.
"At the end of the day, if (donating your brain) is going to make a difference - then do it."
Source: PA
