Juventus and former Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has said that he had " a hard time finding joy in life" at a certain stage during his career as he delved further into the mental health problems that he endured during his career.
The 41-year-old admitted his struggles with depression for the first time in January, which included detailing how he missed a game with Juventus due to a panic attack.
Now Buffon has elaborated on the issue of mental health in the form of a letter written to his younger self for The Players Tribune, and stated that his routine during a seven-month period when he was 26 became like 'a prison'.
"If you live your life in a nihilistic way, thinking only about football, your soul will start to wither," he wrote. "Eventually, you will become so depressed that you won’t even want to leave your bed.
"It will happen at the height of your career, when you have everything a man could ever want in life. You will have money and respect. People will even call you Superman.
"But you’re no superhero. You’re just a man like anyone else. And the truth is that the pressure of this profession can turn you into a robot. Your routine can become a prison.
"One morning, when you get out of bed to go to training, your legs will start shaking uncontrollably. You will be so weak that you won’t be able to drive your car.
"Initially, you will think it’s just fatigue, or a virus. But then it will get worse. All you’ll want to do is sleep.
"At training, every save will feel like a titanic effort. For seven months, you will have a hard time finding joy in life."
