Marcus Trescothick: Somerset and ex-England batsman reflects on mental 'struggles'

Marcus Trescothick retired from international cricket in 2008

Ex-England batsman Marcus Trescothick says his struggles with mental health "could've been so different" had they happened more recently.

The Somerset opener, 43, will retire from cricket at the end of the season.

His England career was cut short by an ongoing battle with depression and anxiety, forcing him to leave two overseas tours in 2006.

"We live in slightly better times now where it's a little bit more open and out in the public eye," he said.

Trescothick told BBC Radio 5 Live: "If my struggles had happened at a later date we might've been, as a team, a lot better to deal with them by maybe pre-empting it, resting a bit more or whatever."

The left-hander, in his 27th summer as a professional, scored 5,825 runs in 76 Tests for England in an international career lasting from 2000 to 2006.

He was one of his country's star performers across all formats during that time, also racking up 4,335 one-day international runs - more than any other England opener, and played a key role when they beat Australia to win the 2005 Ashes.

But in February 2006, Trescothick left a tour of India because of what was described at the time as a "stress-related illness" - and, though he returned to the side on home soil, he would also fly back from the Ashes tour in Australia later that year before a ball had been bowled.

"I live with depression and anxiety pretty much every day of my life, but I just manage it with medication and keep on top of it that way," he said.

"The game has given me so much that I don't have to worry too much about it. We are lucky within our industry - the Professional Cricketers' Association do great things in trying to get us connected with some good people.

"I'm a more educated person when it comes to dealing with people with mental health problems, and helping other people."