The 32-year-old goalkeeper is encouraging young men to talk openly about mental health issues.
Conor Roberts has described how Wales manager Craig Bellamy not only resurrected his career but helped improve his mental health.
Roberts was a shock inclusion in Bellamy's training squad in May just a week after announcing his retirement from professional football.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper stepped down because of mental health issues after the death of his father.
Now Roberts says he is in a much better place and hopes his honesty will inspire others to talk about their feelings and seek support.
"It's important you recognise you're not alone in this journey and there's a lot of men that are going through it," Roberts told BBC Sport Wales.
"There's a lot of pressure on men these days – work, life at home, kids, family and having to provide this, that and the other.
"It's okay to have bad days. It's okay to be down. It's just going about things the right way to get out the other side."
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Despite having helped his club The New Saints become Welsh champions for a record 17th time, a Wales call was the last thing on his mind in the Cymru Premier, especially while lying down in a tattoo parlour going under the needle.
"I was on the bed at the time trying not to be in pain," he recalled.
"Then the phone was ringing in my pocket. Craig said 'I want to invite you in, you're doing extremely well in Europe and someone I've kept an eye on'."
Roberts retired from the professional game due to mental health issues - a topic that former Liverpool, Manchester City and Cardiff City striker Bellamy has openly spoken about.
Bellamy revealed in 2020 he had been diagnosed with depression, a condition he had suffered since his playing career.
"Craig helped me through my struggles," Roberts said.
"He invited me into every sort of team meeting, even ones that senior lads weren't invited to, we had a lot of young players during that camp.
"He wanted me to look at it from a player and a coach perspective, asking my thoughts, or we shared ideas.
"It was fantastic and I really utilised that camp to dive into the detail of how he wants to play, and how he sees a national team performing within an elite level.
"The main thing for me was that I managed to do okay and come away with some pride.
"I wish I was in a better frame of mind to really appreciate that, don't get me wrong, I'm never one to give myself too much credit."
'Concentrate more on myself'
Former Wales Under-21 international Roberts had just completed a standout season with TNS, not only securing a domestic treble but also becoming the first Welsh club to reach the group stages of a European competition.
This brought prestigious tie against Fiorentina and Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League as well as victory over Astana of Kazakhstan.
But success comes at a price and Roberts added: "At TNS we used to spend probably 49 to 50 weeks out of the year involved in full-time football. As you can imagine, it takes its toll."
Two years previously his father Stuart took his own life, aged 56, having struggled with anxiety and depression.
It was a devastating blow to Roberts who described how his father, also a goalkeeper, had a "huge impact" on his career.
"I probably didn't have time to process it," he reflected.
"Doing all the stuff that helps me get through that almost doesn't support being a full-time footballer either.
"I like to do an awful lot of running [but] you can't run a 10km run the day before a game if you're playing full-time.
"Just taking myself away from an intense, high-pressured environment, it's helped me to concentrate more on myself and do things that actually make that tragic event that little easier to handle and improve my own mental health."
Bellamy a 'phenomenal person'
Roberts has received support and help through the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), who put him in touch with a counsellor whom he describes as "an amazing fella."
Retirement from professional football did not signal the end of his playing career – he signed for semi-professional Cymru Premier side Caernarfon Town in the summer.
"It's exactly what it says on the tin with part-time football," Roberts said.
"I've still got something to give in terms of the playing perspective but a big thing was being able to continue to develop as a coach. The club have been fantastic to support me in that direction and with the national team camps.
"If that hadn't been an option, then I probably wouldn't be here now because I have one eye on developing as a coach and where I want to get to."
In addition to his work as a development coach at former club TNS, Roberts recently accompanied Wales' Under-18s men squad to Japan and remains in contact with Bellamy.
"I always wish him all the best for the big games and he'll always get back, so yeah, that's important for me," Roberts said.
"Before signing for Caernarfon, I actually asked him to be a reference for me for a job and he said yeah, absolutely.
"He's a phenomenal person, and I just wish all the best for him and the country."
If you have been affected by issues raised in this article, there is information and support available on BBC Action Line.
Category: General Sports
