Former Everton midfielder Dele Alli has thanked the club for their help and understanding after checking into rehab to deal with a sleeping pill addiction.
The former Everton star spoke with ex-Manchester United legend Gary Neville, the Toffees midfielder opened up on harrowing childhood trauma which led to difficulties in his personal and professional life.
The 27-year-old said: “I got addicted to sleeping tablets, it’s a problem not only I have. It’s going around more than people realise in football.
“Now is probably the right time to tell people. It’s tough to talk about it as it’s quite recent and something I’ve hid for a long time and I’m scared to talk about.
“When I came back from Turkey (following a loan spell at Besiktas) I came back and found out I needed an operation.
“I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to a modern rehab facility that deals with addiction and mental health and trauma. I felt it was time for me.
“You can’t be told to go there, you have to make the decision yourself.
“I was in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm. I was waking up every day, winning the fight, going into training every day smiling – willing to show I was happy.
“Inside I was losing the battle and it was time to change. When I was told I needed surgery I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle began.
“So I went there for six weeks. Everton were amazing and supported. I will be grateful to them forever. For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn’t ask for anything more during a time when I was making the biggest decision of my life – doing something I was scared to do. I’m happy I’ve done it.
“There is a stigma around it and it’s something people don’t want to do. Going into rehab is scary but I could never have imagined how much I would get from it.
“I was in a bad place. A lot happened to me when I was younger that I couldn’t understand and I was doing stupid things that I blame myself for.
“Going there and learning about it, it was never really under my control.
“Understanding, learning it has helped. I let go of some bad feelings I was holding which was slowing me down.”
