Reece Bennett: Manchester United defender after his father committed suicide

Content Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide and mental health.

Rhys Bennett comes heading into the media room Manchester UnitedThe training ground at Carrington is buzzing with energy, as you would expect from a 22-year-old professional footballer.

Tall, confident, lean and fit – apart from a knee injury he is trying to recover from so he can complete his loan move to a League One club next month – defender Bennett offers a firm handshake and talks about his developing skills as a DJ.

Captain of United’s last FA Youth Cup-winning side in 2022, Bennett impressed during his loan spell at Fleetwood.

But he doesn’t talk about that today.

Bennett has serious issues to address, which stem from a heartbreaking message he posted on social media on October 28.

“Broken and devastated, I don’t want to believe this is real,” he said. “I love you in this life and in the afterlife.”

The letter was addressed to his father, David, who committed suicide.

Bennett wants to talk about the pain of those left behind, to encourage conversation and to implore those struggling with their mental health to choose a different path to the one his father took.

David, along with the rest of his family, gave their time to help Rhys and his daughter Megan, who works in mental health care.

“He worked extremely hard,” Bennett says. “You grow up, especially as a son, and you look up to your father. You want to be like him.”

“He has given me so much over the years, including my resilience and work ethic. The time he, my mom, and my family invested in making my dream come true is something I will be forever grateful for. They have always been there for me, no matter what.”

“They don’t realize how appreciated they are, how they impact people. You want to have a million laughs and cries and whatever it is. I appreciate everything he did for me.”

“As sad as it is and the last chapter of his life was not good, you still have to celebrate his life and think about the good times.

“If I could have one more conversation with him, it would be to say how grateful I am for him as a person, how much I love him, and tell him how much I really appreciate him. You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

Bennett’s reason for speaking to BBC Sport is clear. He wants to help. He realizes that it is very likely that he will never know whether the interview helped a particular person, but that is not the point.

“I want to talk about the importance of telling people how you feel, and how special it is to live, to breathe, to be able to eat, to sleep. You have to be grateful for what you have,” he says.

“Someone might feel a certain way but hopefully this will motivate people and they might just check up on someone and ask if they’re okay.

“Don’t doubt yourself — just do it. Let the people close to you know you’re there for them.”