FORMER NFL star Johnny Manziel says he regrets spurning LeBron James’ efforts to lift him out of depression.

The erstwhile Browns quarterback has revealed that LeBron reached out to him on a weekly basis to hang out when they played together in Cleveland.

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Johnny Manziel and LeBron James had a close bond when the pair both played in Cleveland at the same time

The former NFL star revealed that LeBron took him under his wingCredit: YouTube/ClubShayShay

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But Manziel said he spurned LeBron’s efforts due to his mental health strugglesCredit: YouTube/ClubShayShay

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LeBron performs Manziel’s signature ‘money’ celebrationCredit: Instagram/jmanziel2
But Manziel disclosed that he refused to take up the former Cavaliers star’s offers as he was struggling with his mental health.

“I remember, this is how bad off I was whenever I was in Cleveland, LeBron would text me every week to come over to the house and watch a game or play poker with the boys and just tried to be there,” Manziel said on the Club Shay Shay podcast.

“I was so depressed for the first time in my life that even my biggest role model and inspiration in my life couldn’t get me out of bed to come and hang out with him.”

Manziel and LeBron had a close bond as the NFL star signed with Maverick Carter, James’ longtime friend, to handle his business affairs.

“You know, when I went to the Cavs games, I went, I was in and I was out,” he added.

“I didn’t really grasp and latch on to him in a way that I should have.

“And he tries to take me under his wing, right? And I’m just kind of nudging it away because of where my mental (state) is and being just fully depressed and where I was in my life.

“Is that an excuse? Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, the respect that I should have for them, giving me everything should trump all else.”

Manziel played just two seasons for the Browns in 2014-15 after arriving amid much hype following his Heisman Trophy success at Texas A&M.

Former First Take host Skip Bayless even once said that he believed that Manziel would be bigger in Cleveland than LeBron.

And the 31-year-old told Shannon Sharpe he has major regrets over letting down numerous people, including LeBron and Carter.

“The thing that I realize now is the reason why they’re probably still pissed at me to this day: They don’t lose. They don’t bet on anything that’s not a sure thing,” Manziel said.

“And what I did and the way I carried myself and the way that I was in my time during Cleveland was pure and blatant disrespect to them giving me everything that I could have ever needed to be successful.

“So something that still to this day, I think now that we’re talking about it, I haven’t completely truly got over yet how I let them down.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Manziel revealed he suffered a dramatic 40-pound weight loss in Las Vegas on “a strict diet of blow.”

Last year, Manziel revealed how he almost committed suicide at the height of his personal struggles.

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Manziel was featured in the Netflix documentary called Johnny Football, which is part of the Untold series.

The quarterback explained he would go on $5million booze benders and began self-sabotaging after being cut by the Browns.

He refused to enter rehab twice and used drugs every day after the 2015 NFL season.

Speaking in the Netflix documentary, Manziel revealed: “I had planned to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life, spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life.

“I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense, and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me.”

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), chat on 988lifeline.org, or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.