Emmanuel Eboue: "I wanted to kill myself"

Former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue has revealed that he considered suicide following his year-long ban from football.

The 33-year-old was suspended by FIFA in March due a refusal to pay an agent following his move from Arsenal to Galatasaray in 2011.

Eboue's ban would have been chalked off had he paid the fee - thought to be around £800,000 - but instead he is serving his suspension and admits that it is the lowest point of his career.

"There are a lot of days when I don't feel like getting out of bed. One day I wanted to kill myself. My family keep me strong, it's them that I have to think about but if I was alone, I worry about what I'd have done to myself by now," he told The Telegraph.

"There are times when I stay in my bedroom and don't come out. One, two days in that room. Alone. I lock the door and am just thinking. I spend a lot of my time reading the Bible and will say, 'Emmanuel, why are you doing that? It's no good for your family'.

"The people who know me, when they see my face, they can tell I'm not happy. This is the lowest I've been in my career, it's a bad time."

Eboue, whose contract at Sunderland was terminated after just 22 days following his suspension, made over 200 appearances for Arsenal during his seven-year stay at the club.