This week I'm speaking to former footballer, Jermaine Pennant.

After starting off his career at Notts County, Jermaine transferred to the club I support, Arsenal for £2 million aged just 15. After scoring a hat-trick on his first league debut in the 2003-04 Premier League season, Jermaine helped Arsenal gain their 'Invincibles' title as the first (and only) team to go undefeated during a 38-match season.

In 2017, he also starred in Liverpool's Champions League final, winning the 'Man of the match' award for his performance.

In this episode, we chat about Jermaine's time in prison and how it affected his mental health, how mental health has improved within football over the years, and how he has gone from bottling up his emotions for the majority of his life to being open and honest when he's struggling.

If you or someone else is struggling with a mental illness, please always speak to someone or click on this link to  see a list of all the dedicated mental health charities in the UK.

Finally, if you enjoy listening to The Stress Sessions, please download all the other episodes and like, share and review (if you're able to!).

Thanks

Luke x

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