Neil Lennon reveals he suffered from depression during Hibernian's run to the Scottish Championship title

Lennon has opened up on his struggles with depression

Andy Newport
Monday 08 May 2017 15:18 BST
Comments
Lennon has spoken previously about his struggles with his mental health
Lennon has spoken previously about his struggles with his mental health (Getty)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Neil Lennon has revealed he battled a bout of depression while leading Hibernian to their Ladbrokes Championship title.

The former Celtic captain has spoken previously about how he struggled with his mental health during his playing days.

And he has again opened up on the issues he continues to face now that he has moved into management.

Lennon has confessed he is feeling very low
Lennon has confessed he is feeling very low (Getty)

The Easter Road boss confessed he found himself feeling low as the efforts required to guide the Leith outfit back to the top flight took their toll.

But in the wake of the news that namesake Everton winger Aaron Lennon had last week been detained under the Mental Health Act, with his club saying he was suffering from a stress-related illness, the Hibs coach urged others dealing with depression to seek help.

Lennon, speaking to mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, told Sky Sports News HQ: "The job is difficult enough when you're feeling okay.

Hibernian beat Falkirk to the Championship table
Hibernian beat Falkirk to the Championship table (Getty)

"But when you suffer from a bout of depression everything is magnified. You feel 10 times worse about things.

"I did have an episode of it this season for about four or five weeks and the club were great about it.

"They were really supportive, as were my back-room staff as well.

"I got through it okay and came out the other side. When you come out the other side it's a great feeling.

"There was a lot of people there for me, the LMA (League Managers Association) included. They were a great source of help.

"What you do is put a brave face on publicly - but inside you are feeling it.

"I totally understand why people don't want to talk about it but the more you talk about it to professional people the easier it becomes to deal with."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in