The Dublin County Board last night released a statement saying that senior and U-21 footballer Shane Carthy is receiving treatment for depression.

Carthy was man-of-the-match in the county’s Leinster U-21 final win over Meath in which he scored three points but did not feature in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cavan.

Dublin play Roscommon in the All-Ireland U-21 final this weekend.

The statement says: “We are satisfied that Shane is receiving all the necessary support and are happy to report that he is making progress with his illness.

“We would ask all units of the media and indeed the wider GAA family to support Shane and his family on this matter and to respect their privacy.

“We would directly appeal to reporters not to contact the family or family friends. Shane is a 19-year-old dealing with a serious problem and we are confident that his and his family’s wishes will be respected.

"We would like to thank both football management teams and panels and the Naomh Mearnóg club for their support for Shane during this difficult time."

“Over the past few years the media and GAA players have been to the forefront in helping to promote positive messages about mental health and this is to be very much welcomed and supported.”