"It wasn't about me anymore" after Gary Speed's suicide, admits McKenzie

Sports star Leon McKenzie admitted Gary Speed's suicide motivated him to advocate for mental health awareness.

Speed, who was the Wales manager at the time, was a well-respected figure in the sporting world, and the news that he had taken his own life shocked McKenzie, who had endured his own battles with mental illness.

"It alarmed me because this particular gentleman [Speed] had succeeded, a fantastic player and great person off the pitch." the former Norwich and Coventry frontman exclusively told Struggles After The Whistle.

"I had to start doing something about it, and that’s when, from that day forward, it wasn’t about me anymore. I started speaking, I called the PFA the next day."

But after kickstarting his advocacy campaign, McKenzie declared that his requests could have been dealt with better by some of the largest organisations working in football and involved with the welfare of players:

"You could say it could have been dealt with a lot better with certain things. I tried to explain, but when you’re in those big industries, things can get passed on and nothing really gets dealt with properly."

The 40-year-old's selfless attitude towards aiding others has helped set the benchmark for the industry, with McKenzie regularly travelling around the country to share his own tales from battling depression.

"I’ve always tried to be as positive as I can, so I don’t tell my story for anyone to feel sorry for me, not to self-glamorise, not to get any ego from speaking about saving lives." he said.

"That’s the ultimate thing for me, that’s what I’m about – to save lives, and bring inspiration to others who aren’t brave enough to do what they’re trying to bring out themselves."