Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I’m so happy if I can help people now. I was in a dark, dark place for a long time
SAYS BURNLEY’S AARON LENNON
AS critical as staying up is, Aaron Lennon knows from personal experience there are more important things in life.
Lennon is battling to avoid relegation with Burnley, who are involved in a three-way fight for survival with his former clubs Leeds and Everton.
But whatever the outcome, he can put it in perspective because of his past battles with mental health problems.
The former England winger hit rock bottom five years ago this month when passers-by who saw him standing by the side of a busy road near the M602 in Salford called police because they were so worried.
He was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for treatment.
Reflecting on the episode, Lennon can see the pressure had been building inside him for years. “Mine was over a long period of time,” he said. “I probably didn’t realise until it was way too late. I was in a depressed state for a long time.
“In the last real period, it literally took a big fall really quickly and by then I was in a really dark, dark place. I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I didn’t want to get any help, even though I have great people around me.”
Lennon was then at Everton and with the club’s support overcame his inner demons and is now proud to be a Mental Health Ambassador.
Mental Health Awareness Week began on Monday and Lennon feels speaking about his experience has helped others open up to him about their problems.
“The person next to you may be suffering,” he said. “Just a conversation between two people can open many doors.
“I’m happy to help people. I can help from being in that place very similar to a lot of people who are going through tough times. I’ve had people
come up to me who I wouldn’t expect to speak to me and, hopefully, I’ve managed to help them by sharing my experiences.”
Lennon is enjoying a renaissance in his second spell with Burnley and has started 17 of their last 21 games to play his part in their survival battle. He is confident the Clarets can secure a seventh successive season in the Premier League because they have beaten the drop so many times before.
“I look at the table,” he said. “I sit there and study it. I look at the other games and results and I think a lot of the other players do too.
“We’re focusing on ourselves, but we’re still keeping an eye on the other results.
“This team is very experienced. That plays a big, big part. There’s no panic in our dressing room. We’re fully focused, we know how big these games are and we know what we have to do.”