As most of you will know, Aaron Lennon, the Everton winger and former Spurs player is going through a very bad time. He was taken into police custody over the weekend and is suffering from mental health issues. Even ten years ago, that sort of thing would have attracted ridicule from opposition fans, but over the last decade we’ve all learned a lot about mental health and it doesn’t have the stigma it once did.
The truth is that one in four of us will suffer from some sort of mental health issue in our lifetimes. It affects everyone from all walks of life. People are now willing to talk more openly about the issue and that’s why the stigma is gradually disappearing. I’ve covered the issue on my radio show a lot over the years and have been touched by the hundreds of people I have spoken to on air who have been willing to open up and tell their story. It doesn’t just affect a certain section of society, it also affects the rich and successful.
Aaron Lennon is a player I’d loved West Ham to sign. He’s our sort of player. Well on Friday we have our chance to show our support. In the seventh minute of the match, Tottenham supporters intend to have a minutes applause. We should join in with them. OK, it’s a gesture, but if I were him and watching the game on TV I think I’d be grateful that 57,000 people were thinking of me.
Tottenham and West Ham have a long rivalry, but in this one minute we can come together and demonstrate genuine human empathy for someone oing through some difficult times. It could happen to any one of us.