Former footballer Clare Shine: 'It’s only when people retire that they talk about their struggles'

The 27-year-old from Douglas says she hopes opening up about the struggles she experienced at the height of her sporting career will help others

Clare Shine: 'When I was going through that struggle.. I couldn’t relate to anyone who was in professional football'

Whenever she feels alone or under stress, former international soccer star Clare Shine goes to her bedroom and retrieves a copy of her memoir Scoring Goals in the Dark. Spending time with the book, published a year ago this month, reminds the 27-year-old from Douglas in Cork of the extraordinary journey she has taken by speaking about her mental health.

“If I’m having a hard day, I’ll pick it up. If I’m having a tough time, it brings me back to earth a little bit,” says Shine, who will be participating in this year’s Pieta Darkness Into Light campaign to help raise awareness around mental health.