Some form of help is already coming the way of Ivorian football star, Emmanuel Eboue, as one of his former clubs, Galatasaray, has offered him a coaching job.
The gesture is to help Eboue pick up the pieces of his life after a harrowing experience in which he even contemplated suicide.
Eboue, who played football at its peak, slept in a palatial home and drove expensive cars, recently disclosed he is bankrupt after a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife.
He played for Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side between 2004 and 2011.
Speaking to The Sunday Mirror, he said: “I want God to help me. Only he can help take these [suicidal] thoughts from my mind.
“It hurts me a lot [not to see his children]. They used to call me. But now, no contact. It pains me to be alone without them.”
Eboue earned significant income playing for Arsenal at the height of his career, and was also on a reported £1.5 million annual salary playing for Turkish giants, Galatasaray.
However, with his former wife Aurelie being awarded of all the couple’s assets, he has been forced to dodge police and bailiffs following a court order – insisting he hand over his home in Enfield to her.
On Monday, there was cheering news from Galatasaray who said they would hand an academy coaching role to 34-year-old Eboue.
Galatasaray boss, Fatih Terim, who has taken over at the Istanbul club for the fourth time in his career, told CNN Turk that he would give the former Ivory Coast full-back the role of under-14 assistant coach at the club.
Terim said: ‘We heard news about Eboue in the dressing room. I was informed there, we will do whatever we can to help my friend.”
Reacting, Eboue said: “I would be very happy if Fatih gave me the duty in Galatasaray.
“Fatih Terim is my father, I love him very much, I do everything for him because I love him very much,” Daily Mail quoted him as saying.
Galatasaray have gone on to launch a campaign helping former players with troubles, with club legends Hasan Şaş and Necati Ateş sharing messages of support for the Ivorian.
