Newcastle star Callum Wilson opens up on childhood 'suicide moments' and hails football as his 'saviour' and means of escape during upbringing

Newcastle United star Callum Wilson says he had "suicidal moments" in his youth but football ended up being his "saviour."

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• Wilson had "suicidal moments" at 12
• Newcastle man says football was his "saviour"
• Opens up during Mental Health Awareness week

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Newcastle striker said he considered taking his own life at 12 due to enduring a very tough upbringing, which included spending time in foster care, regularly using food banks, and staying in safe houses after witnessing domestic violence. However, football ended up doing wonders for him.

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  WHAT WILSON SAID

  He said on the High Performance podcast: “I cried myself to sleep at night. I got to about 12, 13 – it was like suicidal moments. When I say I cried myself to sleep, I was just praying to God like 'take me out of this environment, I want to become a footballer'.”

  Wilson added: “I’ve walked alongside the train track and was building up the courage to jump basically in front of the train. I’ve tied cables around my bedroom rail and my PlayStation remote controller to see if it was strong enough to hold my weight. Football really was my saviour, it was my escape.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wilson has spoken out about his personal struggles early on in life during Mental Health Awareness week and hopes his story will encourage others who are struggling to ask for help. The 33-year-old has since gone on to have an excellent career, playing for Newcastle, England and more.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Wilson, who has been linked with newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United, is set to leave Newcastle when his contract expires this summer.