LAST week it was revealed that more than one in five young people in the West Midlands is struggling to find a job.

There are hundreds of thousands of young people out there who have a wealth of talent and potential but don’t know which way to turn. This can breed low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and sometimes even depression.

I have children myself and would be devastated to witness them facing long-term unemployment. Too many young lives are being wasted in the dole queue and with numbers continuing to soar we need to make sure we are doing all we can to get to the roots of the problem.

I was lucky enough to carve a career doing something I love. But I have experienced my fair share of disappointment and frustration when things have not gone to plan. At the age of 29 I broke my neck during a match. The support I had at the time from those around me was amazing. If I hadn’t had the help from family, friends, my physio Jim Walker, Dr Barry Smith and my surgeon Mr Andre Jackowski, I can’t imagine where I would be now.

Sadly, many vulnerable young people today are facing huge problems alone – with many growing up thinking that no-one cares. They worry they will never find work or be able to support themselves, let alone a family of their own.