Liverpool Legend Jason McAteer Opens Up on Mental Health Struggles and Suicidal Thoughts After Retirement
Former Liverpool star Jason McAteer has emotionally shared his battle with depression and suicidal thoughts following his retirement from football, revealing how he once contemplated taking his own life.
The 53-year-old, who played 100 games for Liverpool and also had stints with Bolton, Blackburn, Sunderland, and Tranmere before retiring in 2007, admitted that adapting to life after football has been a significant challenge.
Speaking on beIN Sports’ Tales, Tears and Trophies podcast with former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre, McAteer broke down in tears as he recalled a dark moment when he considered deliberately crashing his car while on his way to pick up his son, Harry.
“I just had no purpose, no structure,” McAteer shared. “The TV work was sporadic—maybe one or two shows a week—leaving me with long stretches of nothing to do.”
Reflecting on the harrowing experience, he described driving through the tunnel between the Wirral and Liverpool, struggling with intrusive thoughts. “I remember thinking, ‘I could just swing the car here and end it.’ I was fighting myself not to do it, battling with my own mind.”
Upon reaching the other side of the tunnel, he felt a sense of relief. “I just thought, ‘Thank God.’ I picked up my boy, took him to the pitches, and later went to my mum’s house. I knocked on her door and said, ‘I can’t do it anymore.'”
McAteer also expressed how much he misses playing, stating, “I miss everything about football—just running out onto the pitch, feeling free. For those 90 minutes, nothing else mattered.”
Having previously addressed his mental health struggles in his 2017 autobiography Blood, Sweat & Jason McAteer, he urged football governing bodies to provide more support for retired players adjusting to life beyond the sport.
“The evolution of football needs to extend beyond the pitch and business side to include mental health,” he emphasized. “The stigma is breaking down, but many don’t realize the void retirement leaves and how it impacts mental well-being. More needs to be done by football federations to address this issue.”
For mental health support, contact Samaritans at 116123 in the UK or visit www.samaritans.org.