Collymore advises Trescothick to go public over illness

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Stan Collymore believes that those around Marcus Trescothick should specify what the stress-related illness is that has forced him to leave the Ashes tour.

The precise nature of Trescothick's condition is not known and Collymore thinks it would help to make it public. Collymore, who retired from professional football at the age of 30, has suffered from bouts of depression throughout his life.

He was mocked for taking time out for suffering from what was described as "stress" despite earning thousands of pounds a week as a footballer and believes people would be more understanding if it was made clear exactly what Trescothick's problem was.

"When I took time out at Aston Villa, because my agent and the people at the club didn't know how to pigeonhole it, it was 'Stan Collymore is taking time out with stress'," Collymore said yesterday. "Now that was an immediate stick to beat me with because people say: 'Stress? I walk around every day in the office and I suffer from stress'.

"If there is one minor criticism, [it is] that either the ECB, Marcus' agent or his doctor, should have said 'Marcus, say to people that this is what you are dealing with', because otherwise it's a stick to beat him with."