Ryan Sidebottom: Ex-England bowler on mental health struggles in transition to retirement

Ryan Sidebottom, a former England bowler, has told the BBC about the mental health problems he has suffered since his playing career ended.

The 44-year-old was one of many athletes who struggled to make the transition to retirement.

He said that he had days where he was self-destructive.

Sidebottom was part of the England team that won the T20 World Cup in 2010.

After retiring, the ex-Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire left-armer told the Sports Desk that he felt a huge void without the schedule, direction and regular income that his cricket career provided.

He said that he would worry about his children and money. How am I going to house my family? What is my next step in life?

I would have days where I would be angry. In the morning I would be very emotional and in the afternoon I would not know why.

I would be frustrated with my wife and I would have horrible feelings. I was not sleeping well because of all the negative thoughts about the future.

Sidebottom sought help after he realized he had to do something about it. Staying active helps, along with talking to friends who have lost their jobs after retiring from sport.

He said that it was nice that he could speak about it and that it was okay not to be ok.

Talking helps. I was fortunate to have my wife and some very close friends who helped me through those dark days and horrible feelings, just to talk things through and get it off my chest.

Finding ways to 'help that cliff edge just be a small downward slope'

Hal Robson Kanu feels that there should be more support for athletes to deal with the transition to retirement as he has started his own company.

He said there was little infrastructure offered to players and backroom staff.

Whether that's the FA, the PFA, the Premier League, or both, these bodies need to understand the importance of mental well-being and the emotional side of the game.

• 'Spike' in footballers seeking mental health support, says PFA

Leon Lloyd is a former rugby union player and co- founder of a charity that helps athletes prepare for retirement.

He said that transition out of sport should be talked about as soon as possible.

The more things you can put in place to help the cliff edge, the better off you will be. It is not possible to reproduce the feeling of running out in a big stadium. Finding things to fill those voids is what it is about.

What support is available in different sports?

• The Professional Cricketers' Association brought in a futures fund in 2020, which guarantees every player a payment at the end of their careers. It also deploys seven regional personal development managers, a confidential helpline and one-on-one mental health support
• The PFA has a 24-hour-a-day counselling telephone service, and a pension scheme, with hardship and medical grants available. It also hosts mental health and transition workshops, and allows players to apply for grants towards qualifications
• The Rugby Players Association provides independent advice and transition support to help retired players with career planning. It also offers a confidential counselling service and will soon be launching a retired players network
• The English Institute of Sport, which looks after Olympic and Paralympic athletes, has 30 trained performance lifestyle practitioners delivering what it calls "holistic, athlete-centred support" in areas such as welfare and transition out of sport

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can go to the Action Line.

You can call Samaritans for free at 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.