ENGLAND midfielder Declan Rice shared some kind words with Slovenia counterpart Josip Ilicic.
The Maribor forward has opened up about his battles with depression in the past, which almost led him to retire in 2022.
GettyDeclan Rice proved he is a true sportsman[/caption]
GettyJosip Ilicic helped Slovenia draw with England[/caption]
He revealed that Rice, 25, reached out before yesterday’s game in an incredible act of sportsmanship.
Ilicic, 36, told Sky Italy: “My story is inspirational. I’m glad to hear that, honestly.
“Even today, entering the pitch there was an England player who complimented me.
“He told me he respects me a lot. It was nice to hear. My story is well known around the world.
“The player who said that? He’s a midfielder for Arsenal, I’m sure you know him, Declan Rice.”
Former Atalanta star Ilicic was hospitalised with an infection in his lymph nodes in 2018.
He said: “I realised football isn’t everything in life.
“At times people get angry over nothing, but that illness changed me.
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“I didn’t even want to watch the games. My family, team-mates and the coach stood by me, then once I recovered, it was an issue of finding match fitness.”
Ilicic was also hit by the death of Fiorentina team-mate Davide Astori and took a year out from the game in 2022 after struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.
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He added: “I was afraid to go to sleep.
“I thought I would never wake up in the morning and see my family again.
“It was hard to recover. You start from below zero and you have to get used to moving and running again, as if I were a child.”
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CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
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