R.I.P. Gary Speed

[parkinho]

Just got back from playing football to hear the awful news that Gary Speed has been found dead at his home. A superb player throughout his career who seemed to have reinvigorated the Welsh national team in recent months.

R.I.P. Gary - my thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

[sj33]

Horrible first thing to read this morning, condolences. So young and seemed to be steering Wales the right way.

One minute oviation for him at the Swansea game today.

[prinnysquad]

Can't quite believe this. Tragic.

[yesteryeargames]

What a waste!

[EJG1980]

Unbelievable, horrible and unexpected news.

[Baseley09]

This is completely insane, seemed happy as Larry on football focus yesterday, shows you really can't tell what's happening in people's minds.

[stevie vip 99]

Complete shocker! Always came across really well, a sad loss

[Flabio]

BBC reporting that he hung himself. First thing I thought was that we might be looking at another Robert Enke situation.

So hard to think of any other reason why he might take his own life. Everything from the outside seemed to be going brilliantly for him.

[nakamura]

Mixed feelings myself. Really sad about it as really liked him but I struggle to understand how he can leave a wife and more to the point children.

[EJG1980]

Looking at it from a rational point of view, most people would say "No matter how depressed I was, I couldn't commit suicide, how could I do that to my wife / kids?" but unless you've experienced depression to the point where suicide enters your thoughts... I don't think any of us could imagine what we'd be capable of if we got to that point.

[Flabio]

Exactly, proper medical depression isn't just a case of 'cheer up'. It's a proper illness, and it needs proper treatment.

With Enke he thought that he couldn't get help because being a in a 'macho' sport meant that he was just meant to get on with it. Was worried what the admission that he needed help would do to his career.

[nakamura]

A lot of people though suffer from extreme lows in life though. There is no evidence as of yet that he had 'proper' depression, or none that he didn't for the record.

It does highlight what you said though Fabio, sports stars need more help in these areas. They are often portrayed as gods and people forget they have feelins too. I hope more good comes from this.

[Herbalizer]

I was completely gutted when I heard the news this morning. He'd really impressed me with the manner in which he'd turned around the fortunes of the national team and we had some pride and belief back. If it was depression that caused him to do what he did then that makes it much sadder.

Earlier in the week Stan Collymore had been tweeting quite openly regards a bout of depression he's currently going through. It makes for some interesting reading and shows that depression can hit anyone. Stan was supposed to be at the game today commentating for Talksport but he was too ill to attend.

R.I.P Gary. If there is a heaven then I'm sure Bobby Robson has him in the starting 11 already.

[Anpanman]

Yep, had heard he had bouts of depression in the past.

Gutted about the news, really very sad.

[bash]

I don't think I've ever seen a headline like this which has stopped me in my tracks. I can still remember seeing him on Football Focus yesterday and thinking how he was in such a good position to turn Wales fortunes around with the youth at his disposal. Also appreciative of the shape he looked to be in (esp sitting next to McAllister) and his general niceness seemed to flow out naturally with his words and gestures.

Still stunned this evening. Money, fame, fortune, success etc, you f'ing can keep it. I just want to be relatively calm and happy, ideally with those who I love and are close to me in life.