CANCER LIES HID MY DEPRESSION; Soccer player's mental illness after love split.

Byline: TOM WELLS

SHAMED non-league soccer star Nick Colley last night tried to explain just why he had feigned cancer and cruelly duped his family.

The football world was rocked on Thursday when it emerged that the Tamworth FC player had lied to his parents, girlfriend and manager by claiming to have stomach cancer.

Charlatan Colley, who lives in Burntwood, Staffordshire, then fled to the south coast with his partner, leaving his shocked relatives to pick up the pieces.

But last night the winger issued a lengthy statement in which he claimed he was the victim of mental illness, blamed his sick charade on a love-split and said he had considered suicide.

'Since I was 12 years old I've had a history of mental depression,' he admitted. 'By the age of 17 I was prescribed Prozac to deal with the condition.

'Back in October 2002 and after a seven-year relationship with my fiance, we split up -and this hit me hard. I didn't know why she was leaving me but I took it very badly. To compound the depression I broke my foot while playing for Tamworth. Then I discovered that my girlfriend had found someone else, and that destroyed me.

'Football was the only thing which gave me any hope and that was taken away from me until late February 2003 when I could get back to training.

'I just wanted to shut my eyes. I wanted everything to go away. I planned for my best friend to come down to the house and for him to find me in the garage after killing myself. I was that depressed.

'In February, when I was recovering from my injury, I arrived at the club dressing room with a huge nose bleed.

'I sat in the corner, crying my eyes out. I thought nobody was in the dressing room until one of my team-mates caught me crying and asked what was up.

'Football banter can be cruel at times. I felt embarrassed to tell the truth about my mental depression so I told him I had cancer.

'I asked him not to tell anybody but he told other players and club officials out of concern for me.

'This was when it got out of hand but in a time of massive depression the comfort and support I received from everyone was a huge support to my real illness and it took huge pressure off me.'

Fans raised around pounds 5,000 for Colley but were baffled when the player refused it and instead donated the money to sick children.

He planned to fly out to America for 'treatment' and Tamworth players and staff had a whip-round to raise cash to pay for the flight but Colley again refused the tickets. Instead they were given to hisparents to join him in the States.

Last night Colley's PR Andy Billingham said that the player was 'profoundly sorry' and bizarrely likened his case to tragic boxing hero Frank Bruno.

'It's a bit like Frank Bruno,' he said. 'Nick desperately wants to get back playing football but acknowledges that it probably won't be for Tamworth.

'He is profoundly sorry and wants to repay his debts, both emotionally and financially.'

CAPTION(S):

SORRY... Tamworth FC's shamed star Nick Colley