Liverpool defender Andy Robertson and manager Jurgen Klopp have spoken about the pain of losing relatives who helped shape their careers.
Full-back Robertson, 26, recalled how his aunt showed belief in him when he was released by Celtic at the age of 15 in 2009 but died at Christmas 2013, before his career took off with the Reds, where he has become a European, world and now Premier League champion.
"I was a normal 15-year-old lad so there were probably a few tears but my mum and dad got me my favourite curry that night (when Celtic let him go)," he said.
The German admitted it was sometimes difficult to live alone in a foreign country, something which had been brought into even sharper focus during the coronavirus lockdown.
"The fact that I spent so much time on my own during lockdown showed me how important it is to have your loved ones close to you," he told Foden.
"I'm probably not the best person in terms of calling, but in that time I was on the phone talking, especially to my parents.
"Sometimes when you have bad games and bad moments, at home you have a lot of time to think about things.
"It's a human thing – you always feel more comfortable talking about positive things. When it comes to mental health I've learned that talking about difficult stuff or problems, issues, makes me personally always feel released afterwards, like I'm lighter, I've lost weight."
