Credit: Twitter
Dele Alli was considered to be the ‘next big thing’ in world football when he broke through the ranks at Tottenham but he failed to meet the expectation as his performances went downhill. Ali is now at Everton, back after a disappointing loan stint at Besiktas. The player has revealed one of the reasons which affected his career. The midfielder revealed that he spent six weeks in a rehab facility to overcome his addiction to sleeping pills and also opened up about his childhood trauma, including being molested at the age of six.
In a candid and emotional interview with Gary Neville for The Overlap, Alli said that he decided to seek professional help after returning from a loan spell at Besiktas with an injury that required surgery. Alli said that he was in a bad place mentally and was relying on things that were doing him harm.
Dele said, “I got addicted to sleeping tablets, it’s a problem not only I have. It’s going around more than people realize 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 it.”
The midfielder also mentioned that he decided to go to a modern rehab facility to deal with his trauma and addiction. Alli praised Everton for their support and understanding, saying that they were terrific and he would be grateful to them forever.
The former Suprs star said, “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 I was making the biggest decision of my life – doing something I was scared to do. I’m happy I’ve done it.” The 27-year-old also admitted to considering retiring from football at the age of 24 after falling out of favor with both club and nation.
Alli shared details of his traumatic childhood, including an incident that saw him molested by a friend of his biological mother's, who was an alcoholic. He also said that he was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then he returned and started smoking and dealing drugs.
"(My childhood is) something I haven't really spoken about that much, to be honest. I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you kind of a brief understanding," Alli said. "So, at six, I was molested by my mum's friend, who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic, and that happened at six. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back. At seven, I started smoking, at eight I started dealing drugs."
Alli also said that he learned a lot from his rehab experience and let go of some bad feelings he was holding onto. The attacking midfielder’s bright career, which saw him become a regular starter for Tottenham and England at its peak, has dwindled in recent years. This was one of the most powerful interviews ever done by any footballer as the fans will now realize that their beloved stars are also people and that they don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.
Spurs Striker Harry Kane shares his admiration of Delle Ali after his recent interview
Harry Kane, the Tottenham Hotspur, and England captain, has expressed his admiration and support for his former teammate Delle Ali. Kane and Alli were teammates at Tottenham when the midfielder was at his best and highest point in his career. In the interview, Alli named Harry Kane and Eric Dier as two people who always supported him behind the scenes during his tough period at Tottenham.
Kane, who formed a prolific partnership with Ali during their time together at Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino, took to Twitter to praise the midfielder for speaking out and sharing his experience. Kane tweeted, “Proud of @dele_official for speaking out and sharing his experience to try and help others.”
The tweet was accompanied by a heart emoji and a link to the interview, which was conducted by Gary Neville for The Overlap. Regarding his situation at Spurs, Kane is pegged for a move to Bayern Munich for the following season according to many reports. The British striker has been one of the most prolific players for the London side scoring 280 goals and assisting 64 during his time at the club.
