The 40-year-old, who signed for Sunderland last month, criticised the PFA for not doing enough to help players make the transition to a new career after their retirement.
However, in his eagerness to defend his organisation, Pat Lally, the PFA's director of education, appeared to dismiss Harper’s complaint. He said: "I know Steve was probably a bit emotional, but it doesn't tell the whole story. It's disappointing for me when there is so much information out there.”
Lully went on to argue that all the information regarding the help and support on offer was in the PFA’s magazine ‘4 The Player’ and that Harper should have looked on the website or picked up the phone rather than speak to the media.
The PFA have since contacted Harper to clarify Lully’s comments, who has claimed the “emotional” comment had been taken out of context.
The Daily Telegraph understands that Lully has since offered to meet Harper in person to explain himself and to also look at ways to improve the service they provide to former players.
The PFA’s deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes was more sympathetic to Harper’s case, having also struggled to adjust when his playing career ended.
“I genuinely believe we provide a service," he told Press Association Sport. “People may well fall through the cracks - I am not saying we are perfect and we will always strive to do more.
"But I can honestly say there has never been a player that has picked up the phone to the PFA and asked for assistance who hasn't received it. I t is a little bit unfair to label us that we fail players."
"I certainly take on board Steve's views but I'd like to think that for every Steve Harper story there are a lot of other players (we help).
The PFA did not respond to a request from the Daily Telegraph to discuss the issues raised in our interview with Harper, but Hayley Jarvis, Community Programmes Manager at Mind, hoped his comments would encourage other sportsmen and women to speak up.
“It’s in the best interest of sport to continue talking about the issue of mental health amongst elite athletes,” she said. “When people in the public eye speak about their mental health it inspires others to seek help so we congratulate Steve for speaking about his own experiences.
“Sportspeople experience a unique set of pressures in their jobs from scoring goals and winning trophies to facing media scrutiny, meeting the high expectations of fans, and dealing with comments on social media.
“There are some great things happening in the sector, and a good example is the Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation.
“The Charter is helping to tackle stigma in wider society, by supporting organisations to incorporate mental health into their strategies to make sport more accessible to people with mental health problems and use it as a force for social change.
“We will continue working with sporting bodies and other organisations to find better ways of ensuring our heroes have the support they need and create an environment where they can all fulfil their potential.”
- Telegraph