Nottingham Forest’s Jesse Lingard has opened up about his struggles with depression during his time at Manchester United.
The England international had fallen out of favour at Old Trafford during the 2019-20 season and described himself as being on “autopilot” for months, prior to the first coronavirus lockdown period in March 2020. In a candid interview with The Guardian , Lingard, 29, said that at times he would drink during the week in an attempt to “try and take the pain away”.
His battle with depression came at a time when he was caring for two of his younger siblings as his mother faced her own struggles with mental health. The Forest midfielder admitted that he considered taking a break from football as he looked for ways to avoid the level of scrutiny that comes with being a professional footballer.
