He’s a little rogue and I love him..

TONIGHT, 8.0, BT SPORT 3

had the full spectrum from me. But he knows deep down what I think of him.”

Rodgers was the one who revealed Griffiths was taking time out and believes the decision is just the first step.

There has long been whispers about the gambling and some of the questionable lifestyle choices but the manager made it clear the problems run much deeper.

But he’s convinced admitting there’s a problem is the beginning of the road back.

Rodgers said: “It normally is a relief for guys who have issues and you ask them what their best day was and it’s when it all comes out. I talked to a player who had huge gambling issues and when I quizzed him on what was the best feeling he said it was when his wife caught him because that finished it and he could start to make himself better.

“Until that point he was living a lie. Sometimes that can be your life. Now once it’s out there hopefully it can draw a line under the issues for Leigh and the club, players, fans can all support him, give him time to become better.

“It’s probably a huge burden lifted from him, now he can look at starting on a road that can allow him to find happiness and life gets much better from there.”

Rodgers knows some people will chuck the usual lines when a star stumbles in to troubles, ‘How can such a wealthy young guy have problems?’ or ‘Try living on 10 bob a week’ and so on.

Life doesn’t work that way but at least there’s a growing acceptance of mental health issues these days.

Rodgers said: “It’s something that’s more open. For men, in years gone by, talking about these things was viewed as a weakness. At least now that’s been broken it’s no longer a weakness. And whatever actions that take place there is genuine help there, instead of it being brushed under the carpet.

“Just because you are a talented sportsman doesn’t mean you are not vulnerable. In my experience of working daily for 25 years sometimes the higherprofile players can be the most vulnerable.

“Expectations. There’s so much more to lose. The guys who have been given great talent, they are not immune because they earn X amount of pounds.

“They are as open to any issues as the regular guy on the street.

“As a society there’s much more done now to help these kind of struggles.”