Potts - You need support to navigate tough times

England bowler Matty on the power of a support network and why bottling things up is not the right approach
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For Matty Potts, a support network means everything when he's going through tough times.

Like most elite sports people, the England bowler has had his ups and downs. At times he's had to navigate a path through major disappointments.

In those moments, it can be difficult to ask for help. But as Matty tells The Edge, dealing with problems alone is not the best approach.

And he is eternally grateful to the people who have supported him through the most challenging chapters of his career.

"There's been a tough patch probably in the last two years for me personally," said Matty. "And you just need your family and your friends around you.

"Sometimes, just speaking from my experience, you feel like you want to stay away from the lads, your teammates, but actually the best thing for you is getting around the lads and having a bit of banter flying around.

"You feel more yourself and kind of forget about the problems or the issues that you have been having.

"I think it's probably more prominent in men's sport, where men just kind of crack on and don't say anything, and you kind of go into your shell and just act on the surface as if everything's fine.

"And I know I'm probably someone that just kind of bottles everything up and puts on a facade that I'm fine. But no, actually, being around the lads and being around your family and your friends means so much more because you have the support network that we don't actually realise that we do have.

"When everything's gone chips down, you kind of forget that that's in the background, and you need to be aware of it because it's so important to have that support."

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