Burnley striker Lyle Foster taking break from football over mental health struggles

Foster has previously spoke about his struggles during his career and will be out of action indefinitely for Vincent Kompany’s side

Lyle Foster has been a key player for Burnley (

Image: Steven Paston/PA Wire)

Lyle Foster is sidelined indefinitely for Burnley after the club revealed the South Africa striker has been hit by fresh mental health problems.

Foster’s absence is a huge blow for Burnley as they battle relegation and he was their top scorer with three Premier League goals and two assists from seven appearances.

Foster spoke about the issues he dealt with at his former club Westerlo in Belgium in an interview in the summer and he admitted he struggled to get out of bed some days.

Burnley have worked hard to make Foster feel settled at Turf Moor since his £11million switch in January and he thanked assistant coach Craig Bellamy, who has battled his own demons, for helping him.

He has been absent since he pulled out of the defeat at Bournemouth, even though he had travelled down with the squad, and now the club have confirmed he has been struck down again by mental health issues.

Burnley say he is getting the specialist care he needs and refused to put a timescale on his recovery. Burnley said in a statement: “On behalf of Lyle Foster and his family, they have asked us to share with you an update on Lyle’s illness.

“Recently, Lyle let us know that he continues to live with issues around his mental well-being and has reached out for help. He is currently in the care of specialists – giving him the support and care he needs to help him back to full health.

“With the love and support of his family and everyone at Burnley Football Club we will do all we can to provide everything he needs to get better.”

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While Burnley’s priority is helping Foster, his loss is yet another problem for Kompany and his struggling side were already the Premier League’s lowest scorers with just eight goals from their 11 games.

Foster’s problems come when his career was taking off and he had just signed a new five-year contract until June 2028. Manager Vincent Kompany felt Foster deserved rewarding with improved terms because of his success this season.

Losing their top scorer for an indefinite period only adds to Burnley’s woes and the Clarets do not have another proven top-flight marksman.

Burnley have just four points ahead of Saturday’s daunting trip to Arsenal and are fighting to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch

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