Former Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant has opened up on his mental health struggles as a player, claiming he 'spiralled' after wrongly being given a 'bad boy' image and was 'thrown into the deep end with no help'.
Now 40 years old, Pennant endured a difficult upbringing and never strayed too far from the spotlight during a career that has seen him battle alcohol addiction, spend time in prison and later declared bankrupt.
Pennant, who once earned £80,000-a-week at the height of his fame, feels he was often misunderstood as he constantly made headlines for the wrong reasons - but claims he was never given a support system to cope.