Ryan Sidebottom: Ex-England bowler on mental health struggles in transition to retirement

Former England bowler Ryan Sidebottom has told the BBC about the mental health problems he has suffered since the end of his playing career.

Sidebottom played in 65 international matches between 2001 and 2010 before retiring at the end of the 2017 season.

But the 44-year-old became one of many athletes who have struggled to make the transition to retirement.

«I had days where there was massive self-sabotage,» he said. «I would dwell on the past, worry about the future.»

Sidebottom took more than 1,000 wickets in all competitions, won the County Championship five times and was part of England's T20 World Cup winning team in 2010.

But after retiring, the ex-Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire left-armer told the Sports Desk podcast that he felt «a huge void» without the schedule, direction and regular income that his cricket career provided.

«I'd worry about my children, money,» he said. «How am I going to pay the mortgage? How am I going to house my wife, my children? What's my next step in life?

»And I'd have days where I would just be angry, agitated. That would have been in the morning and then in the afternoon I'd be really emotional and I wouldn't know why.

«I'd be frustrated with my wife, frustrated internally, and I'd have lots of horrible feelings. I wasn't sleeping very well because of every negative thought about the past, the future.»

Sidebottom eventually realised he «had to do something about it» and sought help. He has learned that staying active helps, along with talking to friends who have also struggled after retiring from sport or have lost their jobs.

«They've really struggled mentally and it's nice that I can speak about it and put it out there and say, 'look, it's OK not to be OK',» he added.

«Talking really, really