Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue concedes the decline of his football career forced him to lie to his children.
The 36-year-old also admitted he had almost committed suicide several times due to his financial problems.
Eboue left Arsenal in 2011 for Galatasaray but sealed a return to the Premier League with Sunderland five years later.
But he was released by the Black Cats just a month later without playing a single match after he was handed a one-year ban for failing to pay his former agent.
Such was his shame, Emmanuel Eboue said he was forced to lie to his kids about what exactly he was doing with his time since he had no club to train with.
“The FA suspended me from any activity, I did not have the right to train with a club for a year. I was training with myself and I was ashamed,” he told RMC Sport.
“I used to train in the morning, but there were people who were training at that time and they came to take a picture.
“I then had to train at night, there was no light, but I could not stay at home.
“When I saw my children, they asked me when I was going back to the field, so when I went out in the morning, I pretended to go to work.
“I was staying outside and going home when my children were already in bed, I did not want them to ask me why they did not see me play. ”
Emmanuel Eboue admits he is still forced till today to take anti-depressants as he moves on in his fight.
“Often, I would lock myself in my room for three or four days,” he added. “Even today, I take antidepressants.”
