Dean Windass has admitted he recently attempted suicide after battling with depression following the end of his playing career. Windass, who fired hometown club Hull into the Premier League with a stunning winner in the 2008 play-off final, ended his playing days last year at the age of 42. He has also worked as a television pundit but the well-travelled striker has revealed to The People the extent of his problems. He told the newspaper: "I have cried every day for the last two years since retiring. People outside football think we have it all. But I was in a hole that I honestly didn't know how to get out of. "Just over a week ago I hit rock-bottom and decided to end it all. "I first took an overdose and when that didn't work tried to hang myself. I felt so alone and believed I had nothing to live for. "I need to sort myself out which is why I'm speaking out now. He added: "People have this image of me as this big strong man who can take anything life throws at him. But I'm not ashamed to say I wanted to end it after a string of setbacks." "I knew I'd been a fool but I couldn't shake off the depression at feeling what a failure I'd become." Windass, whose previous teams include Aberdeen, Bradford, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, called on the Professional Footballers' Association to do everything in their power to help people with similar problems in the future "We're not the brightest but you play football all your life," he said. "There are hundreds of footballers in the same boat (after retirement). There is nothing to get up for in the morning. "The Professional Footballers' Association or the governing body need to help us." http://www.sportinglife.com/footbal.../15/SOCCER_Windass.html&TEAMHD=soccer&BID=165 Jesus Christ.
Depression is a very very serious thing. One positive from some tragic stories is, people are talking about it. There is help out there, talk to people if your feeling low or down. There is medication which can help. We can all take small steps to help ourselves, exercise, fish oils and serOtonin supplements like vitamin b6 every day.
Just goes to prove that you cannot know how a person is doing inside their own skin. No matter how good or "normal" their life looks to you on the outside, their life and pain to them can become unbearable. Without getting all "holier than thou" about it, maybe it gives us all a little nudge just to make sure that our friends and loved ones ARE indeed ok and not just "in a mood". Good luck to Dean and I hope the world gets better for him and he comes to recognise all the things that do in fact make his life worth living.
Tough break for the guy but at least he can get help now by bringing it out in the open.Hope he conquers it.
Sad to hear that. God its such a common thing these days. It's good that he's opened up about it though. I always think that if people were more comfortable talking about it then it might lessen the burden on them and help them. It's disappointing that there seems to be such a stigma about it, when its actually a really common thing.
Witnessed this first hand, an athlete who had to retire and then suddenly had nothing in their life. Training and competing was their life. They went from training 12 to 15 times a week to nothing and they couldn't cope. It was scary, but thankfully after years of help they are ok.