'At six I was molested...': England's Dele Alli reveals childhood trauma in heart-breaking interview (WATCH)
In an interview with Gary Neville, England footballer Dele Alli talks about his childhood traumas that led to spell in rehabilitation.
FollowEngland footballer Dele Alli disclosed on Thursday that he just left a rehab facility for an addiction to sleeping pills after failing to cope with the pain of having been sexually abused as a child, among other traumas. The Everton midfielder, who was arguably one of the best in English football, said on Gary Neville's "The Overlap" podcast that he started peddling drugs at the age of eight before having his life drastically altered when he was adopted by a new family at the age of 12. The 27-year-old Alli rose to popularity at Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino and was a vital member of the England team that advanced to the 2018 World Cup semifinals.
Alli's playing career has suffered recently as he lost favour at Spurs and unable to make an impression at Everton or on loan at Besiktas last season. He did, however, go on to explain how these issues stem from a number of childhood experiences that he had attempted to forget.
"At six I was molested by my mum's friend, who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic," said Alli. "Then I was sent to Africa (to his father) to learn discipline and then I was sent back. (At) seven I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs."
"An older person told me that they wouldn't stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I'd have the drugs, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man. Twelve, I was adopted... I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn't have asked for better people to do what they'd done for me. If God created people, it was them," he told Neville.
Alli added that he hopes by speaking out he can help others that have suffered similar abuse.Â
Harry Kane, a former teammate of Alli's at Tottenham, and Prince William were among many who praised him for his courage in speaking out.
"Brave and inspirational @dele_official," tweeted the Prince of Wales, who is an ambassador for mental health charities. "Discussing mental health is not a sign of weakness. Let's keep the conversation going. We're all with you and we wish you the very best."
Kane and Alli struck up a prolific partnership in the early days of their career together at Spurs. "Proud of @dele_official for speaking out and sharing his experience to try and help others," tweeted the England captain.
According to Alli, a six-week stay at a rehab facility in the United States has given him the motivation he needs to restart his football career.
"Going into rehab is definitely scary but I could never have imagined how much I would get from it and how much it would help me mentally," he said.
"I was in a bad place. A lot happened when I was younger that I could never understand."
Additionally, Alli expressed concern about the prevalence of sleeping medication addiction in football, as players are frequently given pills before and after games. "I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it's probably a problem that not only I have, I think it's something that's going around more than people realise in football," he said.
"To take a sleeping tablet and be ready for the next day is fine, but when you're broken as I am, it can obviously have the reverse effect because it does work for the problems you want to deal with."
Prior to the new season, which begins next month, Everton stated that Alli would concentrate on his physical and emotional health. "Everyone at Everton respects and applauds Dele's bravery to speak about the difficulties he has faced, as well as seek the help required," the club said in a statement.
"Dele will not be conducting any further interviews in relation to his rehabilitation, and we ask that his privacy is respected while he continues his recuperation from injury and receives the full care and support needed for his physical and mental well-being."
