Clarke Carlisle pauses for a moment, as his face radiates with enthusiam. "The Union really does so much that goes unreported and undiscovered" he begins. "Take the story of Brad Friedel. He was declared bankrupt a year ago because he pumped £6 million into a soccer academy in America to help develop young players. He really fed it to the hilt, but the talent just wasn't emerging and Brad had to declare himself bankrupt. The PFA helped him out. It got maybe an inch and a half on page 27 of some paper. If Brad had been declared bankrupt because he'd been pissing it up the wall and gambling, that would have been a seven page spread."
As the Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association, Carlisle talks with a mix of glowing pride and frustration. Pride at the unrelenting work which the PFA is doing, and frustration at the lack of recognition that it can sometimes receive. The PFA does, after all, have an awful lot to be proud of. It is the world's longest established professional sportsperson's union and is the most implanted trade union in the country. Once a player becomes a member, they are a member for life. And many will be unaware of just how much the PFA provides.
"The Union goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide the services and support that its members need - education is funded to find an alternative career after retirement, there is accident and illness support and insurance in place, and there are benevolent funds for ex-players who've fallen on hard times. The Union regularly pays out to bail out current players, too, such as Friedel, who have struggled."
But let's not dismiss the PFA as a mere old boy's club, because it is so much more than that. By assuming responsibility for the welfare and protection of footballers in the modern era, it means tackling all those issues which haunt the modern society - racism, homophobia, mental health issues, testicular cancer - issues which, lest not forget, footballers are not immune from.
So, let's start with racism then. The inescapable and unavoidable topic. On the pitch, Patrice Evra and Anton Ferdinand (allegedly) were the victims of racial abuse already this season. In the dugouts, just two of the ninety-two clubs in English football's top four divisions have black managers in charge; Chris Hughton at Norwich, and Chris Powell at Charlton. And the baneful plague extends to the stands with monkey gestures being sent in the direction of Mario Balotelli at Euro 2012 - a sharp reminder that racism isn't an issue which can be eradicated by our efforts alone; racism transcends borders and oceans, a worldwide dilemma.
"As long as there are human beings on earth with physical differences, that will always be used in some context one way or another' Carlisle asserts. 'We need to make sure the number of people that hold these thoughts diminish year on year and the amount of incidents that we see diminish year on year."
And he is supportive of the FA's commanding stance on the Luis Suarez incident (Suarez was charged with racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra), but refutes any suggestions that, by condemning the Uruguayan, the PFA 'are hanging (their) own out to dry'.
"That is utter tripe because it is wholly possible to chastise someone for the actions but then re-educate them and support them subsequently. That is exactly what we are doing here. Luis's actions have been chastised, he has been found guilty and the sanctions have been put in place and we say that we do not condone these actions and we want to stamp this out of the game."
Carlisle places particular emphasis on the word 'education' - "It's highlighted an area in which we are falling short. We have so many equality programmes running in local communities and schools but at the beginning of the year, just a vague overview with the professionals. This has demonstrated that when players come over from foreign countries, they need more than that. They will need pretty much a point by point guide to say 'this is how it is here'. We need to get together with the football clubs too, because an onus is on them, this is their player and their football club and they have a duty of care."
Carlisle is understandably reluctant to be too critical on such a complex yet intriguing member vs member issue, but his support for the implementation of the Rooney Rule - which would make it compulsory to interview a black candidate for every major coaching and management job - is more forthright.
"It works in the NFL to create opportunities in increasing the opportunities for black managers and it is fantastic how well Powell and Hughton are doing because whenever you are trying to make a breakthrough, you need leading lights and these two guys are doing phenomenally well. And this battle is shifting slightly. Before now, the amount of black managers and coaches in the game directly reflected the amount of qualified blacks managers and coaches who could have been in the game. Before now, there has been a 'why bother?' attitude as it has been perceived that racism has been endemic within the system and there would be no point in trying as there would be no job for you at the end of it. Now, that's changed, definitely.
"The Rooney Rule would be a positive to the young, hungry, newly-qualified black manager because there is an avenue where they could potentially get a job so that instantly ticks boxes. If it comes in and we still see constant rejection for black candidates, then we have to try something else, but that could only be seen once it has been implemented and given a try."
Not that Carlisle will be going into management himself. The former QPR, Watford, Leeds and Burnley defender harbours ambitions of a future in the media and broadcasting and is currently completing a course at Staffordshire University to ensure that he possesses the necessary skills for life after retirement. Besides, Carlisle also has doubts over whether he has the necessary temperament for such a role.
"I can barely control looking after myself on a Saturday so if my job relied on the performance of 11 other men who I knew could do the job but weren't for whatever reason, and I was giving my all to them all week, the hairdryer wouldn't even begin to describe what they would get from me." He laughs.
Although Carlisle is somewhat tongue-in-cheek in his dismissal of management, it depicts an undercurrent of insecurities which remain with him. He admits he still sees counsellors and psychologists, while he insists that he needs his 'Alcoholics Anonymous' meetings in order to survive. Carlisle's considerable life experience - he has suffered from depression, alcoholism and gambling - makes him a pivotal cog in the PFA machine.
"I can say to players 'right, I'm your man to speak to, talk to me' and then I can let them unload. I try to relay to them what my experience is and show them that they aren't unique, they aren't alone and to show that other people have been there before and also to offer an instant olive branch. From there, I would call Gordon Taylor, to let him know the player has been in contact, I'll call John Bramhall who works with all things regarding personal issues, then Micky Bennett if it is a mental health issue as he is our qualified counsellor, Simone Pound if it is something regarding equality or I will ring Peter Kay at Sporting Chance if it is something on the addiction side and then they take control.
"When I went into the clinic, Peter Kay and James West, the guys in charge, the stories they told me were just fantastic, they would reel off their story, and it's the first thing they do and so many times I'd be saying 'that's me, I do that, that's me'. When you can identify yourself in someone else, that gives you the biggest connection because you see this person and associate yourself and your actions with that person. Then you see that person now and you think 'they've come out of it, so if they have done it, then so can I'. We have a good solid format in place but it needs refining and really needs to be slick so that people can be met where they are and when they need us."
Carlisle insists that many barriers remain unbreached and he is determined to break down the stigma which continues to surround depression, both from those players who are suffering it and the football supporters who are unable to understand how anybody earning such an enviable amount of money would have anything to be depressed about.
"We will do the counselling sessions and it's for that person to take up as and when they need it. That's really one of the big barriers that need to be broken down. A lot of lads don't like to take medication because they think that they are happy pills but they absolutely aren't. It's a restoration of chemical balance in your brain - a natural balancing of the body and when people start to understand that whole process, then that stigma of happy pills can be taken away and will encourage a lot more people to actually go and seek medical advice instead of bottling things up.
"As far as concerns the cynical supporters, I take it all the way back to the stigma, the taboo, and the ignorance of what depression is. Depression is not just a self induced state of mind, it is an illness. It is a chemical imbalance that needs adjusting. That's it, end of. You can no more choose to be medically and clinically depressed as you can choose to have cancer or diarrhoea. You can't choose to stop having diarrhoea. If I've got the sh*ts, there's no use you saying to me 'man up'. I'd love to but I can't! And it is exactly the same with depression. It is immaterial what job someone has, it's immaterial how much they earn, or where they live. It is an illness that can strike anyone at anytime and until everyone understands that, then those ignorant comments will continue."
But Carlisle's concerns stretch further than current players. The tragic death of Gary Speed has led to an emboldening of attempts by the PFA to attempt to aid players in preparing for a life after retirement, and Carlisle provides a fascinating explanation into just how difficult it can be.
"One of the toughest things about retirement is the loss of the adulation, of the buzz and of the adrenalin. Those matchday feelings are such a huge void. You have to consider this with the old Joharis window technique. For many footballers, there are two windows. The football one is huge, and football takes up 90% of this whole window and the family takes up 8% and golf 2%. When that's gone, these people are left with 10% of a life. What we need to ensure is that over the last five years of their career, these windows are evened out. If not, it can mean you end up being with the family 24/7. Around 40% of retired players end up getting divorced - we've got one of the highest divorce rates on retirement - it is utterly disgusting. It is because, all of a sudden, these men are on their wives toes 24/7 and many men and women can't deal with that. It's a serious thing because these can be contributory or aggravating factors to any mental health issue."
What we can be certain of, though, is that, with Carlisle around, there is a genuine determination to protect members and care for them in times of angst and difficulties. He is a symbol of hope for those who are experiencing the darkest depths and the most galling of moments. It is the examples set by the likes of Carlisle, which shows that there is a path to recovery and that there is a means of rediscovering a passion, an enthusiasm and an enjoyment for life.
Now at 32 years of age, Carlisle is still enjoying his football, and following five years with Burnley, he is now looking for a new club as he enters the twilight of his career. As I sit across from him in a Manchester café, he seems as happy as he could ever have been, liberated from the troubles that have previously hounded him and, though he is aware that those demons could return at any given moment, Carlisle appears truly grateful to embrace life with his wife and children.
"Content is the word I would use to describe how I feel at the minute and it is brilliant. It really is. I'm enjoying my life and the things that are happening in life."
He begins to giggle to himself, buoyed by his realisation of true happiness.