Jordon Ibe reveals four-year battle with depression

Former Liverpool starlet Jordon Ibe has lifted the lid on his long-running struggle with mental health in an interview with SPORTbible.

The 25-year-old, who broke out in 2015 as part of the Liverpool squad under erstwhile manager Brendan Rodgers, has failed to live up to his lofty billing in the years since.

After a season and half as a first-team player on Merseyside, Ibe found himself surplus to requirements under the new management of Jurgen Klopp, and departed to Bournemouth on a four-year deal with a buy-back clause inserted. The expectation that he would kick on in a lower pressure environment did not materialise, however: despite his obvious talent, Cherries manager Eddie Howe criticised his lack of consistency, and he took 17 months to score his first goal for the club.

Upon the expiration of his contract, he was released by the club in 2020. He then signed with English Championship side Derby County on a one-year deal, but only made a solitary appearance before his contract with the Rams was terminated by mutual agreement.

In January 2021, Ibe took to his social media account to make public the challenges he had been enduring with his mental health and now, ten months on, the forward, who remains eligible for Nigeria internationally despite representing England at various youth levels, has elaborated on his ongoing tussle with depression.

“I'm not trying to make people feel sorry for me,” he said. “I feel like it was very important that I spoke openly - and to my family - about it because you don't know what can come from mental health. I've been going through depression for the last four years.”

Of his decision to finally come out with the news of his mental health situation in January, Ibe described it as a “cry for help”, saying, “It was the darkest time of my life. I felt like I needed to speak out because if not, I don't know what else could have happened. It's a good thing that I did.

“That post was also to let everyone know that I wasn't just chilling and relaxing at home while not playing football. I wanted to let people know I wasn’t trying to take the mick.”

Ibe has not only had to deal with criticism from the English press and public, but also from Nigerian fans, after footage surfaced in 2013 of him mispronouncing his own surname in an attempt to clear up confusion about it. 

That moment was construed as a sign he had lost touch with his roots, a notion that was lent further credence when, in 2015, Super Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh revealed the player has turned down the chance to represent Nigeria, and was favouring an England call-up.

Things do appear to be looking up for the former Liverpool starlet, as he stated he is in a much better head space since making his situation public.

“I'm genuinely feeling much better within myself. Happier, for sure. My short term goal is to get back on the pitch. I also want to get back to a situation that I've been in before. I want to play in the Premier League again and strive for a better situation; a better second half of my career compared to the first.”

Ibe’s last appearance on a football pitch came in a 74-minute showing for Derby’s U-23 in a 5-3 win over Blackburn Rovers in Premier League 2 action in December 2020.