World Mental Health Day: Reds fan Paddy Pimblett opens up and urges people to speak out
Liverpool supporters are urged to begin life-saving conversations this World Mental Health Day through a powerful new video featuring lifelong Reds fan and UFC star Paddy Pimblett.
In the video below, Pimblett shares his personal experience of losing a close friend to suicide and reflects on why speaking openly about mental health is so important.
He also talks candidly about his own experience with mental health challenges, saying: “I thought about suicide a couple of times, how I’d do it. To man up, bottle it up and not say anything is just sewn into our being.
“There are a lot of lads I know over the past 10 years who’ve taken their own lives and it’s crazy when you think about it, because Scousers are the most happy-go-lucky people in the world.
“Every 90 minutes someone takes their own life, that’s just absolutely shocking.”
Pimblett shared his story following the launch of the permanent Kicking Off Conversations hub at Anfield, located at the corner of 97 Avenue and run by the club’s official charity LFC Foundation and LFC’s safeguarding team.
The hub – the first of its kind in the Premier League – provides a safe, welcoming and confidential space on every home matchday, where all supporters can access mental health support for themselves or seek guidance for a loved one.
Appearing alongside former Reds goalkeeper and LFC Foundation community ambassador Chris Kirkland, LFC Foundation senior coordinator Mark Henderson and participant Paul Newell, they speak candidly about their own mental health journeys, the challenges they have faced and the difference that talking can make.
Speaking about the hub, Pimblett, who launched The Baddy Foundation in 2022 to help challenge stigma around men’s mental health, added: “My whole family supports Liverpool. Hearing that they are taking suicide prevention so seriously and they’ve got the hub now on a matchday, I think it’s a great idea because when you come to the match it’s like a safe place.”
Every 90 minutes, someone in the UK takes their own life. Suicide remains one of the biggest causes of death among men under 50 in the UK, yet many continue to suffer in silence.
By sharing their experiences this World Mental Health Day, Pimblett and the group hope to encourage others to seek help, support a loved one or start a potentially life-saving conversation.
This is the first of a series of videos that will be shared throughout this season which will explore their stories in more detail.
Whether you are struggling yourself, worried about someone close to you or simply looking for guidance, support is available. Find details of specialist organisations and support services here.
LFC Foundation is also working with Alfie’s Squad to introduce ‘Support Around the Seat’, a tailored resource helping supporters, families and club staff access appropriate support following a suicide.
The Liverpool-specific support brings together trusted local and national organisations, providing clear routes to support for those struggling with their mental health, affected by suicide or concerned about someone else.
