FORMER DERRY CITY player Liam Coyle has spoken out about his battle with depression and revealed he contemplated take his own life at one point during his career.
A one-time League of Ireland Young Player of the Year, Coyle was capped by Northern Ireland at international level.
However, after being told he would never play again after suffering a serious knee injury aged 22, Coyle began to suffer from depression.
“I’d gone from all those highs to having the rug pulled from underneath me,” he told BBC Radio Foyle. “Once I stopped playing for Derry City I went on a downward spiral that I just couldn’t get out of for a year and a half.
“I was just spiralling, going deeper and deeper, there was no easy way of getting up every morning and saying this was going to be a different day.”
At his lowest ebb, he said he considered taking his own life, but ultimately changed his mind.
“Then I thought about me mother you know, I thought about what it would do to her and I think that’s what stopped me.
“It’s strange because everybody thinks footballers are these strong , athletic young men with everything going for them but then you look at Gary Speed, you didn’t even see that coming.
“Clarke Carlisle has spoke about his depression for a long time and It just shows it can affect anyone.”
Coyle eventually recovered from the injury and went on to become a Derry City legend.
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First published at 14.10