Sasa Curcic

[john e]

I remember he had very thin spindly legs that you thought would snap under a harsh tackle

[Mister E]

As with several players over the years, I thought he was going to be the "final piece of the jigsaw" in terms of making us the team to beat.

It's when I hear stories about ex-players and their woes that I feel that the current crop (Will we soon see the first £100m transfer? Rooney on £250k a week? etc) are a heartless and miserable bunch. There's so much they could do to look after their own.

[Navin R Johnson]

It is always extremely sad to hear of anyone who is mentally ill and down on their luck.   My deeper sympathies however are with those who never had a chance in life, not those who have had evrything and thrown it away.

[Vancouver]

I had lunch with him once as a friend knew him well. He was a lovely bloke, but mad as a box of frogs. He also hated playing football and only did as he could make money for his family back home. I wish him well as he was a genuinely nice fella.

There are a few players like. I would give my right arm for just one game at Villa Park. Imagine having all that talent, breaking through being in the top .00001% of the world's footballers and just not really liking it.

[Brend'Watkins]

As with several players over the years, I thought he was going to be the "final piece of the jigsaw" in terms of making us the team to beat.

It's when I hear stories about ex-players and their woes that I feel that the current crop (Will we soon see the first £100m transfer? Rooney on £250k a week? etc) are a heartless and miserable bunch. There's so much they could do to look after their own.

I was talking about this only last night. Why not a percentage of a player's salary going into a fund for such cases. The Rooneys of this world wouldn't even notice it. Players doing their bit for their colleagues is an admirable cause.

[john2710]

I remember that first game against Derby & being in awe at how he simply drifted past players. Immensely talented but sadly he never looked like fitting in after that, his mid-season nose job being a good example of his state of mind.

Hope, with help, he's able to sort himself out.

[ChrissyPrice]

I was in Montenegro a couple of years ago and some Serbs mentioned his problems then. It seemed to have been common knowledge over there. They also said that all his money had long gone.

[Vancouver]

As with several players over the years, I thought he was going to be the "final piece of the jigsaw" in terms of making us the team to beat.

It's when I hear stories about ex-players and their woes that I feel that the current crop (Will we soon see the first £100m transfer? Rooney on £250k a week? etc) are a heartless and miserable bunch. There's so much they could do to look after their own.

I was talking about this only last night. Why not a percentage of a player's salary going into a fund for such cases. The Rooneys of this world wouldn't even notice it. Players doing their bit for their colleagues is an admirable cause.

If you throw in a tax break for the contributions, then it makes it a lot easier

[Olneythelonely]

It is always extremely sad to hear of anyone who is mentally ill and down on their luck.   My deeper sympathies however are with those who never had a chance in life, not those who have had evrything and thrown it away.

Mental illness doesn't give a shit about how much you have. Being good at football doesn't help in anyway.

[N'ZMAV]

He had a massive conk (nose)....

[itbrvilla]

It is always extremely sad to hear of anyone who is mentally ill and down on their luck.   Myp deeper sympathies however are with those who never had a chance in life, not those who have had evrything and thrown it away.

Mental illness doesn't give a shit about how much you have. Being good at football doesn't help in anyway.

spot on

[Navin R Johnson]

The difference between the sad cases of famous footballers becoming metally ill and everyday people on the street becoming mentally ill is that there is a much better chance of the well known person having his or her illness spotted early and dealt with.      Money comes into it because a person with a lot of money is very rarely isolated.   The vast majority of the most abandoned and vulnerable in society have become so as a result of losing a support system - family, friends, colleagues or worse still never having had one.   Those are the ones on whom I focus my charitable giving and my support.

If you were to say to me that the thread raises the topic of mental illness not vagrancy or alcoholism I would reply that in my own experience and in the cases known to me personally it is chicken and egg.   The one brings on the other.

[oldham_villa]

Very sad. He really did have bags of skill. The sort of player we would thrive with now

[Olneythelonely]

Well this just proves that a) money, b) fame and c) talent matters very little. I have suffered from pretty severe depressing, anxiety etc and despite not having any fame, little money but shedloads of talent (seriously I'm pretty much a genius) I got myself better. Curcic, with all three, hasn't as of yet. Surely you don't have a limited amount of sympathy to use sparingly? Like cancer, see Petrov, mental illness doesn't discriminate.

I'll also disagree with the chicken and egg scenario. Whilst I'm sure some alcoholics go on to suffer from mental illness, I would say 95% of the time, the illness comes first. Then the coping mechanisms start.

[PeterWithesShin]

The difference between the sad cases of famous footballers becoming metally ill and everyday people on the street becoming mentally ill is that there is a much better chance of the well known person having his or her illness spotted early and dealt with.      Money comes into it because a person with a lot of money is very rarely isolated.   The vast majority of the most abandoned and vulnerable in society have become so as a result of losing a support system - family, friends, colleagues or worse still never having had one.   Those are the ones on whom I focus my charitable giving and my support.

If you were to say to me that the thread raises the topic of mental illness not vagrancy or alcoholism I would reply that in my own experience and in the cases known to me personally it is chicken and egg.   The one brings on the other.

With the greatest respect Brian, what a load of complete tosh.