Munster supremo Johann van Graan has praised Keith Earls for his bravery in revealing his mental health struggles.
Munster and Ireland star Earls was interviewed on The Late Late Show last Friday and spoke of the bipolar 2 diagnosis he received having finally reached out for help in 2013.
"I rang the doctor… I explained everything to him, he was brilliant," said Earls.
"I went down to see a guy in Cork, a psychiatrist, and diagnosed me with bipolar 2.
“You know there is obviously bipolar 1 as well, but bipolar 2 is probably the better out of the two to get. I was delighted to get the diagnosis; I was genuinely losing my mind."
Earls was speaking in advance of the publication of his autobiography 'Fight Or Flight: My Life, My Choices', in which he also outlines how he almost quit playing for Munster as he was in severe pain caused by the hits he has taken over his long and successful career.
Asked today about Earls' revelations, Van Graan responded: "Keith Earls is a fantastic man, a Munster man through and through.
"I remember when I came to Munster initially, he was one of the first guys I talked to about Munster rugby and what it means to play for Munster and come from Limerick.
"Obviously, the things he shared were of a very private nature and the way he said it on Friday evening made such a big difference, not only to ourselves but I'm sure to a lot of people on the outside.
"For somebody to be that vulnerable and that honest, I believe it will change a lot of people's lives because of that.
"The main thing is Earlsy is just himself when he's in the HPC (high performance centre), he's such a big part of Munster rugby and what we've been doing in the past.
"I'm very glad that he's part of our group and very proud of him as a rugby player, as a man, as a friend, as a husband, and as a father.
"That's bravery, that's honesty, and we put that in the highest regard at Munster rugby."
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
