Disgraced Premier League referee David Coote revealed he experienced suicidal thoughts and panic attacks in public after damaging videos of him were published online last year, leading to his dismissal as an elite-level official.
Coote was sacked by the PGMOL, the referees' body, after appearing in several leaked clips, including one in which he insulted former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. In another, he could be seen snorting a white powder.
Speaking in his first interview after the scandal, the 42-year-old publicly came out as gay and disclosed that struggles with his sexuality during his career, which he kept hidden out of fear of abuse, led him to make 'really poor choices'.