Aaron Lennon insists 'it's good to talk' as he offers advice to fellow players struggling with mental health issues
Aaron Lennon has offered advice to fellow players struggling with mental health issues.
The Burnley winger, 31, was detained under the Mental Health Act in May 2017 and subsequently spent two months being treated for a stress-related illness.
He feels that he has made a good recovery, and has been keen to offer advice both to his fellow professionals and to those in the community around Burnley.
On Tuesday, Lennon attended the launch of the borough’s Schools’ Mental Wellbeing Project, run by Burnley FC in the Community, the club’s official charity.
He said: “I’ve spoken to a few players. They wanted to know what I was going through, and I’ve given them advice. It’s about speaking to other people. It may not be just a teacher or a mental health worker, it might be just talking in general.”
Lennon, who joined Burnley from Everton in January 2018, added: “I’m one of those people who probably didn’t want to speak and seek help. I was normally trying to help others, so I found it difficult. Eventually I did start looking for help and speaking to people. I improved so much and realised it was the right thing.
“My main message is that if you are feeling that way, you should definitely speak to people.”
