British boxer Ricky Hatton has revealed he considered suicide after the devastating defeat to Manny Pacquiao which effectively ended his career.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, the 32-year-old former world welterweight champion admitted the brutal second round knockout he suffered against Pacquiao drove him to the brink of taking his own life.

Hatton confirmed his retirement in July, more than two years after his one-sided defeat against Pacquiao in Las Vegas in May 2009.

The popular Mancunian said he had suffered bouts of depression following the loss and also struggled with drink and drugs.

“I was going deeper and deeper into depression,” he said.

“I was getting depressed, I was going out, having a few drinks and the worst thing you can do with depression is add alcohol to it.

“I needed something to get my backside into gear and pull my finger out. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to think ‘blimey, Ricky, get a grip’.

“Depression is a serious thing and after my defeat to Manny Pacquiao I contemplated retirement and didn’t cope with it very well.

“A lot of people say ‘I’ve tried committing suicide’ but there’s saying it and doing it and it was coming on a regular basis.”

Hatton said the emphatic nature of his loss to Pacquiao had influenced his decision to retire.

“Being a proud man and a warrior, to get splattered in two rounds like I did was really hard to come to terms with. When I tried to get back into training, I realised the hunger was gone and my career was over,” he said.