Burnley coach Vincent Kompany has praised Bafana Bafana star Lyle Foster for speaking out about his mental health struggles.
Kompany said that Foster’s openness and honesty helped the club to act quickly and provide him with the support he needed.
The Clarets announced on Thursday night that Foster will be out of action indefinitely as he has been struggling with a mental health issue.
Foster, who joined Burnley from Belgian side Westerlo in January, first opened up about his battle with depression in July, where he spoke openly about his experiences.
Vincent Kompany has been impressed by Foster’s bravery and honesty, stating that the South African striker needs all the support he can get.
The sad news of Foster come at the back of an impressive start to life in the Premier League. The 23-year-old has scored three goals while providing two assists in seven league games.
He has become a key player for Kompany as Burnley FC book to avoid the axe on their return to the topflight.
FOSTER’S HONESTY HELPED BURNLEY ACT QUICKLY ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
“Lyle has been having issues with his mental well-being and as a club we’ve very quickly and very naturally made the decision to fully support him, support his family and offer him access to all the expertise and clinical support that he needs,” said Kompany.
“At the moment, we’re wishing him a speedy recovery and we’re wishing him to be in a better place by the time he’s ready to come back to us.
“We were very fortunate that Lyle had been very open with us and from the moment, we were able to act as soon as he said it, as soon as he showed signs of how severe it was for him, straightway, the entire support team in the club made ure that he focuses on his recovery.
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In moments like this, you need to put the human first and that’s what we did… we will provide all the best healthcare in the world to help him to get over his mental health issues. He needs support and be around people who understand how to help him,” added Kompany.
In a statement, Burnley FC confirmed that Foster is currently in the care of specialists, who are working hard to give care he needs to assist him get back to full health.
“With the love and support of his family and everyone at Burnley Football Club we will do all we can to provide everything he needs to get better,” reads the club’s statement.
“We ask for your understanding and respect Lyle’s privacy around this matter and will not be making any more comment until further notice.”