The former depute head of a school attached to a secure unit for young people, which was at the centre of allegations of sexual, physical and emotional abuse of children

It was more intimidating than an Old Firm game, he told the audience. Neil Lennon, the former Celtic captain, spoke candidly yesterday of his battle with the depression which crippled his confidence and left him “a complete shell, a total wreck”.

{mosimage}Lennon, 36, who now plays for Nottingham Forest, was launching a new study on recovering from long-term mental health problems, carried out by the Scottish Recovery Network (SRN).

Their book, Journeys of Recovery, draws on the personal experiences of nearly 70 people across Scotland to highlight factors that helped and hindered their recovery from a range of conditions.

Lennon told an audience at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall that speaking about his experience of depression was “a bit nervy – and worse than playing in an Old Firm game”. He said that for much of his Celtic career he “pretended to be fine” but was “absolutely dying inside”.

“I am the last person you would think of as depressed – someone who is as confident, cocky and aggressive as me,” he said. “But when it first hit me I became a complete shell, a total wreck. I could not focus on anything I did. I did not want to play football, or even get out of bed in the morning. Even when we won an Old Firm game I had no sense of joy.

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt I couldn’t speak about it publicly because I didn’t want it to be an excuse for bad performances.”

Lennon’s road to recovery began with daily visits to the Celtic club doctor, Roddy Macdonald, whose understanding was the key to helping him to come to terms with his depression.

More must be done to help young people with the pressures of growing up, a children’s charity said yesterday. NCH made the call as it launched a campaign demanding the government ensure that Scotland’s youth have the right support.