A TALENTED young goalkeeper was plagued with depression and embarrassment after rumours about his fiancee’s alleged affair with the brother of England captain John Terry made national headlines, an inquest heard yesterday.

County Durham-born Dale Roberts was also nervous about returning to the pitch after suffering a serious thigh injury while playing for the England C team.

The 24-year-old, from Horden, was found hanged at his home in Higham Ferrers, Rushden, Northamptonshire, on December 14 last year.

Yesterday’s inquest into his death at Northampton Coroner’s Court was attended by his close friend, Manchester City winger Adam Johnson, who played with him in the Peterlee and District league and at Middlesbrough.

Johnson said Roberts was upset following unsubstantiated rumours about his fiancee, Lindsey Cowan, sleeping with his team-mate at Rushden and Diamonds, Paul Terry, the elder brother of John Terry.

The inquest heard that Roberts had introduced his fiancee to Paul Terry and he would occasionally sleep over on the couch at the flat they shared.

Terry was subsequently transferred from Rushden and Diamonds to Darlington.

Johnson said: “I’m not sure he could deal with the embarrassment the story caused him.”

Roberts and Miss Cowan, who had been together for six years and got engaged in 2009, split for a time but eventually reconciled.

Johnson said: “I think Dale and Lindsey had a real lovehate relationship and I was worried he would not be able to be with anybody else.”

Miss Cowan wiped away tears as Coroner Anne Pember read from a statement she gave shortly after Roberts’ death.

She said she and Roberts talked about the alleged affair and they “laughed and joked about it”. On the night before his death, she said, Roberts received a text message from manager Justin Edinburgh telling him he would be playing the next day.

“He said he was nervous and just wanted to be on the bench,” Miss Cowan said.

The next day she received a text message from Roberts that said: “I’m so scared about playing tonight.”

After Roberts’s death, she found a message on the fridge in the couple’s flat which read: “I love Lindsey Elizabeth Cowan very, very much.

She is the love of my life.”

Miss Cowan told the inquest that Roberts had suffered panic attacks since his injury.

He had been prescribed antidepressants after feeling down and missing training sessions.

His mother, Isabelle Roberts, said her son told her he did not feel he could even go to the local supermarket because he was worried about the reaction from the public after rumours of Miss Cowan’s alleged infidelity emerged.

The coroner returned a verdict of suicide.

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Roberts stood with her arm around Miss Cowan and her husband George beside her as a statement was read on their behalf.

It said: “We wish to thank everyone for their help, support and kindness over the past year.

“It’s been a difficult time for everyone concerned but the love and support we’ve been shown has helped us.”