I'LL BE BACK A BETTER MAN!

GRAY WINS BIGGEST BATTLE AND VOWS...

- Mark Carruthers

THERE are words that remain unspoken. The talk has been of life on the touchline and inspiring his side to continue their march up the NonLeague pyramid.

The conversation then moved on to summer business – retaining players and adding to the squad to relieve the frustrations of an abandoned playoff push.

But, even chatting via an online video chat, it is all too obvious that there is something else to come. Something more serious, something more personal.

“I am not going to hide from it,” explains Morpeth Town manager Nicky Gray.

“It’s surprised me a lot, and I am ashamed to say I’ve been ignorant about mental health and thought it’s been somebody else’s problem.

“Maybe that it won’t happen to me, but I have got to say it has, I have struggled.”

Lockdown has denied him of the release that working hard on the training pitch provides and withdrawn him from the familiarity of the touchline technical area.

Gray has been restricted to Facetime chats and exchanging WhatsApp messages with his players and coaching staff.