FC Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has made a worrying confession about his mental wellbeing, revealing that he "lost the will to live" during the height of his career and continues to attend therapy to this day.
The Vissel Kobe midfielder has enjoyed a trophy-laden career to date, having won multiple UEFA Champions League and LaLiga titles with Barca, as well as the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championship and the 2010 FIFA World Cup with his national team, Spain.
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However, despite the success he has achieved, the veteran playmaker has revealed that, in the 2009/10 season, he began suffering from depression after a series of injuries, and still sees a therapist today as a result.
"I didn't have that joy or energy that life has to be. I lost that will to live," he told The Wild Project.
"You start to feel bad, they test you and you're fine but you say that something is not working and then you go away, you get into your body and into your mind.
"You see everything black. That is to say I wanted the night to come so I could take my pills and go to bed. That was the moment of greatest pleasure.
"I lost the will to live. I hugged my wife, but it was like hugging a pillow.
"It's not being sad because you lost a game, it's something else. That's why, until you don't live it or feel it, you can't understand.
"If they don't live it, it's hard for the other person to understand it.
"I am still going to therapy, as I need to be at peace with myself.
"I like to listen to professionals talk about mental health and depression. Eventually, life teaches you that depression and mental health can affect anyone."
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On the importance of speaking out about mental health, the Spaniard added: "I don't know if I live oblivious to that, but I try to understand that I am a public figure, a famous person, whatever you want to call it. But I try to live my life or express my life in the most natural way."
The 38-year-old remains a central figure for Vissel Kobe in the Japanese top flight today, with his contract set to expire only in January 2024.
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