Former Liverpool defender admits he contemplated taking his own life in brave and emotional interview

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has revealed he contemplated suicide after falling out of love with football.

The two-time England international started his career with the Reds, making 67 appearances as the club won the Champions League, FA Cup and European Super Cup. Sold to Blackburn Rovers for £1.5m in January 2007, Warnock would later join Aston Villa in August 2009 before dropping down the divisions with stints at Bolton Wanderers, Leeds United, Derby County, Wigan Athletic, Burton Albion and Bradford City.

Losing "the buzz" for football as a result, Warnock has revealed how he suffered with depression during both the latter years of his career and after retiring, and at his lowest point even contemplated taking his own life.

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"I felt like I was getting frustrated with football," he told Sky Sports as part of their Real Talk series. "I'd played in the Premier League, then you slowly start to drop down. It becomes difficult, and that may sound a bit elitist or snobby but I just lost the buzz for it.

"I felt I wasn't playing the way I wanted to, I wasn't dieting the way I should. I probably wasn't as focused as I was, because I couldn't get to the top again. I felt down, it depressed me.

"I looked back on my career and thought I was a failure. I thought I'd had a terrible career. Going to Liverpool, then going to Blackburn, to Aston Villa, then to Leeds, and I just continued to go down. I always remember thinking I'd let myself down there.

"Now I look back at it and think wow, I was massively depressed for years. I retired at 35. I probably