Niall Breslin said it felt "very emotional" hearing Matt Williams reveal the effect their mutual time together at Leinster had on the province's former head coach.
Breslin, who played in the backrow, was signed by Williams for Leinster in 2001. During his time in professional rugby, which ended in 2004, the man better known as Bressie - who is also the lead singer of The Blizzards - battled crippling depression, anxiety and insomnia.
This was a situation to which the Leinster coaching staff, including Williams, were completely oblivious. Williams admitted the experience of dealing with Breslin helped him when it came to dealing with players who had psychological issues.
'When I played for Leinster, I was really struggling mentally'
"Matt was really likeable. He understands the game. He was very good to me. He was the one that took a chance with me," Breslin, who also played Gaelic football at minor and U21 level with Westmeath, told the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Moments podcast.
"I actually had him on the podcast recently, and I really respect him for what he said because when I played for Leinster, I was really struggling mentally. I was not in a good place.
"I asked him what did he think was wrong with me. He said, 'We thought you were an alcoholic and you didn't care'.
"I really respect him because that's what he saw. He said, 'I never made that mistake again with a player. I understood that I had to look past the player. If they're not delivering what you think they can deliver, there might be a reason for it'.
"I really respect him as a coach for him to have said that to me. It was actually very emotional to hear that.
"I look back on my Leinster days and feel like a taxi man with no car. I wasn't able to give them what I was capable of. I wasn't able to. I wasn't in a good place. I wasn't sleeping. I could barely eat some days.
"I was turning up to training sessions just in an unbelievable state and having to perform. I look back on those days and I regret that I couldn't show those players what I was capable of."
11 October 2002; Leinster coach Matt Williams pictured during the game against Bristol. Heineken Cup, Leinster v Bristol, Donnybrook, Dublin. Rugby. Picture credit; Matt Browne / SPORTSFILE *EDI*
Breslin said that during his time with Leinster, it never felt like a team.
"To be fair, Matt wouldn't have had close to the resources that Leinster have now," he said.
"We were training in a hut in Old Belvedere. We had a gym where the gear was rusty. We had a pitch that was falling apart. They had limited resources.
"They still won the Celtic League, they still were the foundations of what made this great team. They had the likes of Reggie Corrigan, Shane Byrne - people like that, that created the foundations for this Leinster squad that you see now. Leinster always had a great squad, always had a great team but they weren't winning anything.
"There's no coincidence that Leinster are where they are with Leo Cullen. He came back from Leicester, and there was no buzz.
"I have to be honest, as a young player in Leinster, I was like, 'This doesn't feel like a team at all. It feels disjointed'. There were cliques.
"There was nobody owning that, bringing it together. Coaches weren't doing it, and certainly, the players weren't doing it. Leo Cullen, apparently when he came back from Leicester, he was like, 'If we continue with this culture, we are not winning anything'."
See Also: 'People Ask How I Ended Up Playing Rugby But I Was A GAA Player'
