‘Talking’ was vital in easing Henrik Larsson’s anguish after brother’s death

Former Celtic star reveals how important it was to open up to somebody following family tragedy

Talking to a counsellor helped Henrik Larsson deal with his emotional struggle following his brother's death. Picture: Getty.

The image of Henrik Larsson as the ice cool Swede never married up to reality, the Celtic icon an emotional character whenever he allowed the mask to slip. And the fragilities of life tested the now 48-year-old in the most heartbreaking fashion when he lost his brother Robert – then aged 35 – to a drug overdose in 2009.

Larsson was on duty with Sweden when his brother died and he admits that the mental health issues precipitated by this family tragedy were only alleviated by reaching out.

Speaking on the Lockdown Tactics podcast podcast, hosted by Kris Boyd – whose brother Scott took his own life in 2016 at the age of 2016 following struggles with depression – witnessed Larsson appeal for Boyd and any others not to bottle up any anguish over 
personal circumstances.

“During my time in Scotland I had a brother who was on drugs. Knowing the things I knew about him and having to go out and perform week in week out it wasn’t easy. In the end he took an overdose on drugs,” said Larsson. “The pressure my parents felt about that, the worrying they had every night; and me as well sometimes, it’s not easy. So it’s important that you talk.

‘I talked a lot at the time, and still do, with my wife [Magdelena] about things that maybe I didn’t want to talk about with other people because I think it is important to share how you feel in order that someone is able to help you.

“I had a period when I was not feeling very good because I had a lot of questions. My wife said: ‘Well, you need to go and talk to somebody in order to straighten a few things out’. I did that. I went to a professional and talked with her about different things and I felt so much better afterwards.

“It is just a question of finding somebody that you can share with. Whether that is your wife, a professional, your wife or your husband, whoever it is. It is important to know, yeah, you can be as strong as you like, but it is important you can share with different people to get an input.

“If it means you got to cry, crying is not bad, and afterwards you feel relief. Even though it is tough things you are talking about it is important you try to get it off your chest. You can be as strong as you want but if you can’t share with people, then it’s going to be difficult.

“Try to open up, it’s important, and then you have to find someone you feel you can trust with the things you want to talk about. I would recommend a professional because that is what helped me after I lost my brother. Whenever you are in a bad way, and don’t feel there is a way out, just by talking to someone you see a different light of the day. When you are down there, you see no light at the end of the tunnel.

“You have to open up in order to be able to be rescued because otherwise the ones that are left behind feel guilty about things.What could I have done? Could I have been a better listener? Could I have done this…? There are so many questions. Talk to somebody would be my message.”

On the podcast, also hosted by Robert Snodgrass, Larsson claimed that his son Jordan, currently with Spartak Moscow, is a better player at 23 than the father whose glittering career ensured he left an an indelible impression across seven years with Celtic, and in subsequent short but monumental spells with Barcelona and Manchester United well into his 30s.

“He’s 23 years old, it’s ridiculous sometimes how people make that comparison between us and I get a little bit annoyed to be honest with you because I don’t think it’s fair.

“He’s so much further ahead of me both in what he’s achieved on the field and speed-wise he’s a lot quicker than me. I would say his technique is better than me at that time as well. The other stuff he hasn’t reached yet, like goal-scoring and maybe his vision of the play isn’t as good as mine yet but I see things that, most likely, means he’ll be better than me in those two areas as well later in his career.”

l Larsson was speaking in the Lockdown Tactics podcast hosted by Kris Boyd and Roberts Snodgrass.

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