Vincent Kompany has hailed Burnley’s fans for the unwavering support they’ve shown Lyle Foster since the striker revealed his mental health struggles.
The 23-year-old is currently taking a break from football to receive specialist care for his mental wellbeing.
Since the news emerged, Burnley fans have been showing their support for the South African by walking, running, swimming or cycling one mile (or more) to highlight the importance of looking after your mental health.
The idea was the brainchild of Clarets fan John Robertson, who also encouraged supporters to upload their pictures onto social media with the hashtag #MileForLyle.
Kompany has nothing but praise for the movement, which he believes proves just how special the Clarets family is.
“You get to put the person first, the human being,” he said.
“This club for this reason is very different to other clubs.
There’s a reason why historically this club has overachieved, there’s still that idea of putting other people first and being more like a family than being industrial.
I don’t think there’s ever been any hesitation from any corner of the club to do what is right for Lyle and it’s difficult for us, because he was our main guy. We’ve lost our main guy, but it doesn’t matter because it’s more important for him.
“Whenever he’s ready we will embrace him, the fans will and we will continue our journey together.”
“Our family got together over the weekend to do ours and discuss the importance of taking care of our mental health,” he wrote.