West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has shown admirable strength to open up on his fight against insomnia and depression during his new autobiography ‘Suk’
West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has bravely opened up on his mental health struggles – admitting he even considered retiring from football.
The Czech Republic national team captain, 30, has been battling insomnia and depression in silence during his time at the London Stadium. Soucek, who netted in the Hammers’ 3-2 win over Burnley last weekend, admits the issue began to snowball around two years ago when he would head into “every match” without sleep.
He said in an excerpt published in his new autobiograph ‘Suk’: “Do you know what the whoop bracelet can do? If not, nothing is happening, I had no idea at first either. When I bought it in the fall of 2023, I had to get some advice.
“A fairly ordinary black collar that I don’t take off my left wrist measures my heart rate and sleep quality.
“You might be thinking: ‘Another smartphone contraption so you have to buy something that you’ll put aside in a week because you realise you don’t need it.’
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“Well, for whom? You look at the apps on your phone and you can tell by the curve when a person is overloaded, if they could add more during training, what kind of team they have. And most importantly, sleep! I didn’t know where to go anymore.
“Two years of horror. I was ashamed to talk about it for a long time. Even my parents, until I decided to write my confession, had no idea that something bad was happening. Something that bothered me so much that I thought about ending my career.
“Insomnia. Depression. Fear of the future. My thirteenth chamber. You don’t believe it, do you? I don’t really understand it in retrospect either. Where others won’t put their foot because they’re scared of the pain, I jump headfirst. I can’t count the scars on my body, I finish matches with my head bandaged, but this hurt my soul.
“At first it was only slightly annoying, but after a few months it became unbearable. I was at the bottom, I would run into every match without sleep. Every match! Can you imagine? I was afraid of failure, I was afraid of reactions, I was afraid of everything.”
Soucek played an integral role in West Ham’s historic 2023 Conference League triumph and also became the joint highest-scoring Czech in the Premier League – equalling Patrik Berger’s record of 38 – on Saturday.
The crucial victory also marked his 250th appearance for the Hammers following his £19.1million switch, made permanent following a successful six-month loan spell, from Slavia Prague in 2020.
The Irons’ fan-favourite has also explained that his trademark helicopter celebration was inspired by the concept of feeling free and escaping the fight he was tackling off the field.
He added: “By trying a thousand ways to get out of it, I was sinking deeper into the mud.
“From match to match, I focused mainly on not sleeping, which actually disturbed me doubly. And that’s why the helicopter was created, my goal celebration. I start to spin slightly and enjoy the feeling of taking off.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.