Bradford City stars have teamed up with the volunteers from helpline service The Samaritans to highlight the issue of male suicide.

Bantams big names including Zesh Rehman, Luke O’Brien and Robbie Threlfall are backing the charity’s Men On The Ropes campaign, aimed at targeting working class men in their 30s, 40s and 50s, who are three times more likely to take their own lives than women.

The team aims to help reduce the more than 4,000 male suicides that occur each year in the UK, by persuading men in distress to talk about their problems and call the Samaritans’ 24 hour helpline.

Ian Ormondroyd, manager of Bradford City Community Foundation and former Bradford City footballer, said: “With professional sportsmen being one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to suicide I can completely understand how some retired sportsmen go from fame and fortune to feeling worthless and undervalued. I would encourage anyone going through dark times to use the Samaritans.”

Zesh Rehman said: “Samaritans will always be there to help you talk through your problems and remind you that there are better times ahead.”

Interviews with working class men commissioned by the charity found most did not discuss their emotions with friends or colleagues, believing this would be seen as ‘weak’.

Some were or had been depressed due to extended periods of unemployment, family break-down, and/or drug and gambling problems. When trying to help friends who had problems, many felt they lacked the skills to get their friends to talk or to help them.

Michelle, a volunteer at the Bradford branch of The Samaritans, said: “We believe that many men don’t feel able to talk about their feelings and, instead, either bottle them up or let them spiral out of control, sometimes with tragic consequences. The main aim of the campaign therefore is to make calling Bradford Samaritans’ 24/7 confidential helpline an option for them.

“Equally, we believe that talking to anyone – family, friends, colleagues, health professionals – is better than suffering in silence and we hope that the campaign will also help men feel that they are able to express their emotions in today’s society.”

To contact Bradford Samaritans call (01274) 547547. The charity’s national helpline number is 0845 7909090.

For more information about the work of Samaritans contact on 07801 078780 or e-mail michellesurrell@ymail.com.