Sheffield Wednesday: Ex-Owls goalkeeper Chris Kirkland's moving tweet about battle with depression goes viral

The ex-England keeper shared a photo of a happy occasion with his teenage daughter Lucy, who is herself a talented footballer, writing: “It’s moments like this that I thank god I didn’t kill myself a few years back. She’ll need her dad as she grows up.”

Kirkland, who played for the Owls between 2012 and 2015, but only recently got to say a proper farewell to fans, has spoken candidly in the past about his mental health struggles but his latest post on Twitter reveals just how hard it has been for him.

His message of hope touched people’s hearts on Twitter, where it has been liked nearly 40,000 times and encouraged many people to open up about their own difficulties.

One person wrote: “26 years lost in a battle from 17 to 43. 2018 I found photography, since then I've been finding me oh and I'm self-taught. Keep going strong, sir.”

And another commented: “Amazing! I'm dealing with a lot of demons myself right now, but my family are helping to keep me going. Finally allowed myself to accept that not being OK, is OK and love hearing success stories like this as it keeps me motivated! YNWA.”

Kirkland previously teamed up with fellow Owls star Neil Mellor and their friend and life coach Buddy Owen to create Future-Proof Sports Consulting, an organisation aimed at helping footballers through the difficult transition when they hang up their boots.