Speed has helped us

FORMER Northern Ireland winger Keith Gillespie believes the suicide of

Gary Speed has prompted male footballers to open up on mental-health issues.

Gillespie played with Speed at Newcastle.

He said: “Speedo was a brilliant character and you had no idea behind the scenes what was going on.

“So it is very important that the message is out there that it’s good to talk.”

Gillespie, 45, suffered from a gambling addiction. Speaking on the Official United Podcast, he said: “The macho thing is there – that means you do keep a lot of things in.”