Dan Walker was left in tears as he gives an incredibly emotional tribute to the late Gary Speed who sadly died 11 years ago.

The former BBC Breakfast presenter interviewed Gary on Football Focus the day before he was found dead by his wife on the 27th of November, 2011.

In 2021, he provided a heartwarming memorial for the football legend which left many viewers in tears, and the clip is doing the rounds online again.

The newsreader and broadcaster later thanked viewers for their kind comments on Twitter after the show aired. You can view it for yourself by clicking play below…

Speed was found in his garage by his devastated wife Louise aged 42 years old.

An inquest found that the cause of death was “self suspension”, although the coroner said: “The evidence does not sufficiently determine whether this was intentional or accidental”.

In a heartbreaking blog post following his death, Dan called Speed “kind, funny, intelligent and insightful”.

“I found him to be a top bloke and really enjoyed his company,” he wrote.

“On Saturday he was cracking jokes with Gary McAllister, his midfield partner from the title-winning Leeds side of 1991-92.

“Off-air we talked about playing golf, how good his boys were at football and his dreams of taking Wales to the World Cup in 2014.

“He was always interested in what you were up to. He would say, ‘How are you finding Sheffield, Dan? Are you and the kids settling in OK?’ That was part of his charm – he cared.”

Dan continued: “After Focus we recorded a 10-minute piece with Gary talking about Wales qualifying campaign for the next World Cup. He spoke with passion about the fixtures and desire to see success.

“His hope was that the upturn in form would see his team playing in front of full stadia again. He joked about Team GB and how Scotland would be an easy game, McAllister giggled.

“Those words and hopes for the future seem so poignant now. There was certainly no hint of any troubles or any indication of what was going to happen a few hours later.”

Dan had known Speed for several years and had played football with him in a charity match two months prior.

He said he was “stunned” and “incredibly saddened” by his friend’s death, and called him a “top bloke”.

Dan said Speed’s death still “eats him up” and he still recalls “every word” they said that day.

Speaking on the Headliners podcast, Dan said: “Could I have said something to him that day? “Now, was I a good enough friend to him, could I have spotted something?

“And I’ve been through every conversation, virtually every word, I can remember verbatim what we spoke about on that Saturday.

“The final thing he said to me was, he was talking in detail about all the games that Wales had coming up and what tactics he was going to play in those tournament qualifiers.

“And he spoke about his children and he asked me about my children, which is what he always did, he always asked people about what was going on in your life, he was interested in other people.

“And I’ve been through every word that he said that day and the same with Gary McAllister and we’ve wondered as friends could we have done something or was there something we could have seen or something we could have predicted.

“And it does, it eats you up a bit.

“But I feel far more concerned for his two boys and I feel so happy that, they’re never going to be in a great place because they’ve lost their dad, but they’re in a really positive place and they are looking forward to living their lives to the full.”

NHS INFORM

Depression

The site is designed to offer information, advice to those experiencing troublesome thoughts, feelings and actions. From the site you are able to print off various self-help guides covering conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic and sleep problems.

Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Anxiety, panic attacks & trauma

Mental Health

Depression

This leaflet is for anyone who is, or has been depressed. We hope it will also be helpful for friends and relatives.  It describes what depression feels like, some of the help that is available, how you can help yourself and how to help someone else who is depressed. It also mentions some of the things we don’t know about depression. At the end of the leaflet there is a list of other places where you can get further information.

MindMindInfoline:  0300 123 3393

www.mind.org.uk

Coronavirus and your wellbeing

Depression

Side by side – on-line support community

The MindinfoLine offers thousands of callers confidential help on a range of mental health issues.  Mind helps people take control of their mental health. We do this by providing high-quality information and advice, and campaigning to promote and protect good mental health for everyone. They also provide a special legal service to the public, lawyers and mental health workers.

Shout

Text Shout to 85258

www.giveusashout.org 

Shout is the UK’s first free 24/7 text service for anyone in crisis anytime, anywhere. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help.

Breathing Space (Scotland)

Helpline:  0800 83 85 87

www.breathingspace.scot

Sometimes our thoughts and feelings can overwhelm us.  It helps to get some Breathing Space.  Pick up the phone – we’re here to listen.  We are a free, confidential, phone service for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 experiencing low mood, depression or anxiety.

SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health)

Information Service:  0141 530 1000

www.samh.org.uk 

Coronavirus and your mental wellbeing

Today, in over 60 communities we work with adults and young people providing mental health social care support, services in primary care, schools and further education, among others.  These services together with our national programme work in See Me, respectme, suicide prevention and active living; inform our policy and campaign work to influence positive social change.

Support in Mind Scotland

Information:  0300 323 1545

www.supportinmindscotland.org.uk 

Our aim is to improve the quality of life for anyone whose mental health problems or mental illness has a serious impact on their life and on the lives of others, including family members, friends and supporters.  We believe anyone affected by mental health issues deserves compassionate and expert support.

Hub of Hope

www.hubofhope.co.uk 

The Hub of Hope is the UK’s leading mental health support database. It brings local, national, peer, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support and services together in one place.  If you are here then it is likely that you, or someone you care about, is experiencing mental and emotional distress that – right now – feels unbearable and overwhelming.  We want to ensure that all of us – no matter what we are experiencing, or how we see and understand our experiences – feel welcome on the Hub of Hope.

RETHINKHelpline:  0300 5000 927 www.rethink.org

Working together to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

Time to Change

www.time-to-change.org.uk 

Time to Change is England’s most ambitious programme to end discrimination faced by people who experience mental health problems.  Our vision is to make lives better for everyone by ending mental health discrimination and to inspire people to work together to end the discrimination surrounding mental health.

Be Mindful

www.bemindful.co.uk 

Mindfulness is a mind-body approach to well-being that can help you change the way you think about experiences and reduce stress and anxiety.  Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we’re better able to manage them.  Practising mindfulness can give people more insight into their emotions, boost their attention and concentration and improve relationships. It’s proven to help with stress, anxiety, depression and addictive behaviours, and can even have a positive effect on physical problems like hypertension, heart disease and chronic pain.

Bi-Polar UK

www.bipolaruk.org.uk 

Peer Support

BiPolar UK is a user led charity working to enable people affected by Bipolar disorder / manic depression to take control of their lives.  

SanelineHelpline not operating at the moment but leave a message on 07984 967 708

Or email [email protected] and you will be contacted as soon as possiblewww.sane.org.uk

SANEline is a national out-of-hours telephone helpline offering emotional support and information for people affected by mental health problems.

ChildLine

Helpline:  0800 11 11

www.childline.org.uk

ChildLine is a counselling service for children and young people.  You can contact ChildLine in these ways:  You can phone  on 0800 1111, send us an email, have a 1-2-1 chat with us, send a message to Ask Sam and you can post messages to the ChildLine message boards.  You can contact ChildLine about anything – no problem is too big or too small.  If you are feeling scared or out of control or just want to talk to someone you can contact ChildLine. 

Young MindsHelpline:  0808 802 5544www.youngminds.org.uk 

What to do if you’re anxious about Coronavirus

Talking to your child about coronavirusParents’ Information Service gives advice to parents or carers who may be concerned about the mental health or emotional well being of a child or young person.

Kooth.com

www.kooth.com 

Kooth.com is an online counselling service and online mental health community that provides vulnerable young people, between the ages of 11 and 25, with advice and support for emotional or mental health problems.  Kooth.com offers users a free, confidential, safe and anonymous way to access help.  

The Mix

Helpline:  0808 808 4994

www.themix.org.uk 

Coronavirus

Depression

Mental Health

Life’s tough, we know that. It can throw a lot your way and make it hard to know what the hell to do with it all.  So, welcome to The Mix. Whether you’re 13, 25, or any age in between, we’re here to take on the embarrassing problems, weird questions, and please-don’t-make-me-say-it-out-loud thoughts you have. We give you the information and support you need to deal with it all.  Because you can.  Because you’re awesome.  We’ll connect you to experts and your peers who’ll give you the support and tools you need to take on any challenge you’re facing – for everything from homelessness to finding a job, from money to mental health, from break-ups to drugs.  We’re a free and confidential multi-channel service. That means that you choose how you access our support, without the worry of anyone else finding out. Whether it be through our articles and video content online or our phoneemailpeer to peer and counselling services – we put the control in your hands. You can even volunteer with us too.

PapyrusHOPELINEUK – 0800 068 4141www.papyrus-uk.org 

Worried about someone…Support for anyone under 35 experiencing thoughts of suicide, or anyone concerned that a young person may be experiencing thoughts of suicide.

stem4

www.stem4.org.uk 

stem4 is a charity that promotes positive mental health in teenagers and those who support them including their families and carers, education professionals, as well as school nurses and GPs through the provision of mental health education, resilience strategies and early intervention.  This is primarily provided digitally through our innovative education programme, pioneering mental health apps, clinically-informed website and mental health conferences that contribute to helping young people and those around them flourish.

Students Against Depressionwww.studentdepression.org Developed in consultation with students who have been affected by depression, low mood or suicidal thoughts. Many of their stories and suggestions are included on the site.

Campaign Against Living MiserablyHelpline:  0800 58 58 58www.thecalmzone.net The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) works to prevent male suicide and offers support services for any man who is struggling or in crisis.  CALM’s helpline 0800 58 58 58 and web-chat are for men in the UK who need to talk or find information and support. The services are open 5pm–midnight daily and are free, anonymous and confidential. For access or to find more information visit thecalmzone.net

SOS Silence of Suicide

For support call:  0300 1020 505 (midday to midnight daily)

We support everyone affected by suicide, whether they be bereaved, having thoughts of suicide, or have attempted suicide.  Everyone is vulnerable, especially right now when the world as we know it has changed, bringing mental health fragilities to those who have never before experienced them and an escalation of poor mental health for vulnerable people who were already struggling.  The shame, stigma and silence that surrounds not just suicide, but mental health generally, is something we are passionate about changing.  No one should feel judged.  No one should feel awkward.  No one should feel isolated, we will continue to support everyone and anyone who needs our help.

Depression UK

www.depressionuk.org

The mission of Depression UK is to promote mutual support between individuals affected by or at risk from depression, with the aim of encouraging self help, recovery and personal growth.   We believe our members are helped when they share their problems with fellow sufferers, because they understand, better than any non-depressed professional or carer can ever do, what it really feels like to suffer from depression. These members can then share their thoughts, feelings, hopes, disappointments and successes, and in so doing offer mutual support to each other.

OvercomeDepression.co.uk www.overcomedepression.co.uk  

Offers a unique and clear reference point on depression help and advice from experts in the field.

Samaritans Tel:  116 123 (Free)

www.samaritans.org  Whatever you’re going through, we’re here to help 24 hours a day.  We won’t judge you and we won’t share what you tell us with anyone else.  Get in touch by telephoneemailletter andface to face in the UK andIreland.  Visit befrienders.org if you live outside the UK or Ireland.

The Mental Health Foundation

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Coronavirus – How to look after your mental health

Visiting your GP 

Depression Leaflet

We believe it is important to involve the people who use mental health services and their carers in our work. We want to support them to have their say on the way that services are run, as well as to use their experiences to inform our thinking.





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