CLARKE CARLISLE’S documentary ‘Football‘s Suicide Secret’ was compelling, with the PFA chairman revealing for the first time how he has battled depression and once attempted suicide.
In the BBC3 programme the veteran centre-half interviewed ex-Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie, who has twice attempted to take his own life.
Hendrie gets a lot of bad press, but I’ve sat down with him twice for this paper and he loves football – that’s why he’s been playing for the likes of Daventry, Kidderminster, Redditch and Tamworth.
He earned £40,000 a week and bought houses and cars for his family, but when he was declared bankrupt he couldn’t face walking to the shops, such was his embarrassment at their repossession.
I’ve never enjoyed such a lifestyle but I could sympathise – even more so with the career-threatening injury that Carlisle suffered, driving him to overdose on pills as a QPR youngster.
I never came anywhere close to that, but I know that injury can make you feel depressed. I broke my leg playing Sunday morning football aged 22 as I was showing great potential at the top of the Ryman Premier with Sutton, and I was embarrassed.
I was in plaster for six-and-a-half months; unable to do something as simple as make a cup of tea and take it into the living room, unable to get to the club to be in the dressing room with the boys.
While you’ve always been strong, fit and in control, you suddenly feel as if you’re no use to anyone. You don’t want to talk, so you let the phone ring out, avoid going out.
We all remember the Dale Roberts tragedy just over two years ago, and there will be hundreds of Non-League lads feeling similar now, next season and beyond.
They could do worse than get in touch with Carlisle and the PFA. Seeing such big names break down in tears on TV will hopefully put football’s macho mentality to bed and inspire others to ask for help.
