Tottenham Hotspur and their fellow football clubs have come under criticism following the suicide of an ex-Spurs youth player.

Josh Lyons died after getting hit by a train near Ifield, West Sussex at the age of 26 on March 8 following years of depression since getting rejected by Spurs.

The striker joined the North London outfit's youth setup, but failed to earn a professional contract and was shown the door when he was 16.

An inquest heard that following failed stints at Fulham and Crawley Town, Lyons underwent therapy for four years after expressing suicidal thoughts.

"It was that pivotal point that crushed a young man's life and all the dreams that go with it," the Daily Star quotes the assistant deputy coroner for West Sussex Dr Karen Henderson as saying.

"That one moment I find was the single most important factor that led to the events that ended on the train tracks.

"It is very difficult to build up the hopes of a young man only then to have them dashed at a young age. It is very cruel. I find there was an absence and lack of support in football."

Lyons is said to have told his family that he was going for a jog on the day that he ended his life.