After joining Aston Villa from Aalborg in the summer of 2013, Nicklas Helenius only saw 147 minutes of competitive action before returning to the Danish club this summer on a season-long loan.
While saying that things didn't work out for Helenius at Villa Park would be an understatement, the 23-year-old striker revealed on Thursday that a bacterial infection and an addiction to sleeping pills were behind his failed season.
"It ruined me physically because the bacteria couldn't get out and I couldn't get the vitamins I needed," Helenius said, via the Guardian. "I thought I had a very serious disease or even cancer.
"I had very bad thoughts and was afraid of dying and those thoughts of dying were with me all the time. I was crying for help. I had to get through this and that's why I went back to Aalborg to feel comfortable in Denmark."
Of the sleeping pills, Helenius stated: "I was addicted to them. I was almost like a drug addict, but these pills are not good for your body."
Once Helenius' loan spell is over at Aalborg, one year will remain on his contract at Villa.
