Adam Morgan: Being let go by Liverpool took me to a dark place

Many young footballers find it hard to cope when they are let go by their clubs, but for Adam Morgan, the blow was even more severe when his childhood team Liverpool told him he had no future at Anfield.

Morgan, a born-and-bred Scouser, had been labelled the best finisher at the club by Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler and also scored the first goal of Brendan Rodgers’ Anfield tenure when he netted in a pre-season friendly against Toronto FC in July 2012.

Eight years on, however, and Morgan is plying his trade in Essex with National League South side Chelmsford City, having turned out for a myriad of teams across the English league pyramid.

Those intervening years have been extremely tough on a personal basis, too, with Morgan suffering from severe anxiety and depression.

It is only recently that he decided to open up about his mental health issues, as well as being able to talk about his time at beloved Liverpool, who he joined when he was eight years old.

For a while after Morgan left Liverpool, he couldn’t even bear to watch them play, such was his heartbreak at being let go.

“I was angry and upset. Feeling like a failure was a hard thing to get over, but I thought of myself as a big, strong boy who didn’t need any help,” says Morgan.

“That took me to a dark, dark place, and I still go back there from time to time, but I know how to deal with it better because I see a counsellor. Sometimes, I’ll slip up, which can be self-inflicted.

“I put out a tweet the other day, writing about how I hid my emotional pain and explaining that anyone can suffer from poor mental health. I also wanted to let people know that they could speak to me if they were also suffering.

“It’s about that snowball effect, and I just want to try and