Arsenal and Brazil legends join forces to raise awareness around men's mental health

Roberto Carlos and Gilberto Silva spoke to Mirror Football successful East Sussex connected their efforts to rise wealth and consciousness connected men's intelligence wellness and suicide

Not galore tin accidental they've done it connected a acold nighttime successful Lewes - but Brazilian World Cup winners Roberto Carlos and Gilberto Silva can.

The shot legends packed retired The Dripping Pan past Sunday for a bully cause, facing disconnected connected other teams successful their StriveAid charity lucifer to rise wealth and consciousness for the termination prevention charity, Campaign Against Living Miserably, wherever Gilberto is an ambassador.

"I person struggled myself many, galore times, but it's ever erstwhile you are successful a pugnacious infinitesimal successful life, conscionable look for idiosyncratic to assistance you," Gilberto told Mirror Football. "There's ever a bully solution, a amended solution. And CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is there.

"[The extremity is to] Spread the connection that CALM is astir to enactment everyone. It's truthful important. And possibly not everyone knows astir it, but we are present to help."

Taking up the origin to rise consciousness astir termination has go a idiosyncratic substance for the Striver team, whose co-founder, Tim Chase, has mislaid six friends - the astir caller being conscionable 4 weeks ago. "I've mislaid six mates to suicide. All household men, each astir my age, which is evidently truly bittersweet and I'm not acold from a unsocial story," Chase said.

"The astir caller 1 was 4 weeks agone and earlier that was six months ago. When that 1 happened, it was rather brutal and I took it rather hard. So I thought I'm truthful fortunate to person Gilberto and Roberto arsenic concern partners and friends and past evidently each the contented creators that I cognize arsenic well. I thought I could enactment connected a shot lucifer for the Campaign Against Living Miserably.

"We cognize them truly good and Gilberto's an ambassador with them. I could bash thing truly special, not lone to rise money, but besides to rise immoderate consciousness and determination are immoderate radical going contiguous (last Sunday) who've mislaid fathers, dads, [and] brothers to termination who are gonna beryllium successful attendance today. If we brighten up their time for a mates of hours, past we've done our job."

Carlos and Gilberto brought immoderate star-studded friends with them too. Arsenal fable Jens Lehmann got backmost successful betwixt the sticks portion Invincibles Jérémie Aliadière and ex-Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov patrolled outfield. Fans packed retired the non-league crushed to spot with their ain eyes, legends of the crippled gracing East Sussex, albeit galore years past their prime.

"We person to bash it each year. [I'm] thanking everyone who participated," Carlos told Mirror Football aft the game. The foundation crippled was different immense milestone for Carlos, Gilberto, and Chase arsenic partners.

The trio person already decided to instrumentality up different important cause; curbing societal media maltreatment successful the shot community. Striver is a twelvemonth aged and already rapidly growing, with progressive users reaching supra six digits. Business is concern - but the Striver boys person strengthened their brotherhood.

"Amazing, 1 of the champion moments of my beingness to get to enactment with him," Carlos said astir Gilberto. In return, Gilberto hailed 1 of the world's best-ever full-backs arsenic an "idol."

"It's been astonishing [to enactment with Carlos again]," Gilberto added. "Apart from [being] a large idol, he's a bully friend, and helium has been awesome successful bid to enactment the project, the thought of Striver. And I'm gladsome that helium managed to travel present arsenic good to enactment this large cause."

For Chase, his narration with Gilberto archetypal started 8 years ago. His concern spouse present happens to beryllium the Godfather to 1 of his children. "I've known Gilberto for 8 years and he's a Godfather to 1 of my children," Chase said.

"So it's going beauteous well. Roberto's conscionable 1 large shot of amusive energy. Gilberto's a precise humble and relaxed quality and Roberto's bonkers. So they complement each different well."

Petrov, whose nonrecreational vocation ended pursuing a conflict with leukaemia betwixt 2012-13, erstwhile helium was skipper of Aston Villa, didn't hesitate to instrumentality Gilberto's telephone to play. "I'm truly adjacent with Gilberto Silva. I cognize however dedicated helium is to what helium does and everything means truthful overmuch to him," the Villa fable said.

"Especially with Striver, helium started thing precise special, helium tried to marque things right. You cognize however that's important. The societal responsibilities and we've been adjacent friends for a agelong time. So, erstwhile the invitation came about, it was a no-brainer. I conscionable said yes and it's ever bully to determination your legs."

Gilberto Silva and Roberto Carlos faced disconnected successful shot lucifer Strive Aid to rise wealth and consciousness for termination prevention foundation the Campaign Against Living Miserably