Accrington Stanley's Billy Kee Almost Quit Football Last Season Because Of Battle With Depression

18 months ago, Billy Kee seriously considered taking his own life because of depression and anxiety.

The 27-year-old admitted that at one point in his life, he considered driving his car into a wall but with the help of the club, while constantly learning about the illness, he has improved in recent months.

Kee is now celebrating winning promotion with the Football League side after he scored twice in last night's 2-0 win over fellow League Two side Yeovil.

In an interview with the BBC, Kee told the story of how he needed time off to deal with anxiety and bipolar syndrome, as well as depression:

"The manager just said go and have a month off. I made my mind up in the end, I wasn't enjoying it, I just wanted to quit." he said in the interview.

"I moved back in with mum and dad and my dad went 'you're not sitting around, mate. If you want to be in the real world you've got to come in the real world.' My dad thinks I'm the luckiest person in the world to have the job I've got and he went 'get on the building site.'

"Within three weeks I was back at football. It made me realise I'm so lucky to be where I've got to. Don't be chucking that away for an illness."

Kee spoke about how he takes tablets to control his illness, while praising the club for their help in his journey:

"It's a new one for me. I'm learning about it and hopefully I'll learn more." he told the BBC.

"My new tablets have been good, they've mellowed me out and I think they just take the edge off everything. Fingers crossed they keep working.

"I can come in in the morning and say 'I'm really struggling today. They'll put an arm round you and they'll give you a cuddle. You don't get that in football. It's a lot of fronts but with our team, there are no fronts. They're so honest.

"It is all about education and learning about it. Everybody needs to understand a little bit. It could help someone thinking 'I do that regularly. Oh, have I got that?' They could just have a little look into it, they might have nothing but if it helps them in some way, brilliant."

Congratulations on the promotion, Billy.

Topics: UOKM8, League Two, Football News, Football

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

@jackkenmare_