Former Aston Villa hero Lee Hendrie: I tried to take my own life

The 43-year-old, who made more than 300 appearances for the club, explains how he hit rock bottom after his £10million property portfolio collapsed in 2010, leaving him bankrupt.

In a searingly honest interview with the Guardian, Hendrie admitted there were several occasions when he attempted to take his own life.

The dad-of-five said: “I could easily name five, six times where I tried to do that in the bad period.

“The football was almost over and my head was gone. I’d been trying to sell property but the housing market crashed.

“I got to the stage where I just wanted to end it all. I’d hit rock bottom.”

Hendrie hopes speaking out will help others who are struggling, adding: “I’m not proud of the times I tried to take my life. But I want to give something back to people who are also struggling.

“I can still have bad weeks where I do think about doing the same. But I’m mentally strong enough to try and get over that fact now.

“I had to break the silence about what I’d gone through. I felt I had to do that for my own peace of mind so I could move forward.

“It makes me feel like I’m achieving something which can help. The darkest times, and the most horrible, could happen to you. It could happen to my son or daughter. It could happen to anyone.”