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Tottenham star admits he’s been suffering from depression

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on November 5, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on November 5, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
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Danny Rose is happy to be back playing for Tottenham

Tottenham missed Danny Rose on the pitch for more than eight months due to his knee injury. Few at the club knew the talented left back was also battling demons in his mind at the same time. Fortunately, Rose has sought the help he needs to heal him from a physical and mental perspective.

Rose bravely admits that he suffered from a bout of depression during his lengthy injury absence. He also is quite candid about his decision to seek out a psychologist to help him think about life, and his career, more positively. It looked as if he was fit and firing on all fronts during his 90 plus minute performance against Crystal Palace this past weekend.

It really shouldn’t surprise us that a professional footballer would struggle mentally when he isn’t able to perform on the pitch. Having your livelihood stripped from you due to injury has to be hard to deal with. It’s a safe bet that plenty of athletes find themselves facing dark mental demons when they are forced to live without football for an extended period of time.

Rose deserves a lot of credit for being honest and open about his own struggles. It would have been very easy for him to stay silent while engaging in his recovery. Instead, he chose to let the world know about his mental challenges and subsequent treatment. Some of his footballing peers would be well served to do the same.

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It’s fair to wonder just how much his negative thoughts influenced his harsh words about Tottenham and their transfer policy this summer. Rose drew the ire of Spurs officials and fans with his criticism of the club’s lack of transfer purchases that he didn’t need to Google. Many thought his words would lead to his swift departure.

Now it seems that Rose has worked his way back into manager Mauricio Pochettino’s good graces. He looks set to take meaningful playing time away from Ben Davies. The Welshman was excellent during Rose’s injury absence but lacks the athletic gifts of the English international. When both men are at their best, it’s hard to argue that Rose isn’t the better choice for Pochettino’s lineup.

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That doesn’t mean he’s going to stay at Tottenham forever, but it does open the door for him staying with the club for the long haul. Ultimately, playing good football will be the best cure for the player, his mental issues and any residual concerns the club have over his attitude. If Rose returns to the fine form he showed just prior to his injury, everything will take care of itself for the English fullback.

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