Dele Alli opens up on mental health struggles and reveals he was sexually abused as a child (Video)
Everton midfielder Dele Alli has opened up on his mental health struggles and revealed he was sexually abused as a child.
In an emotional interview with Gary Neveil, the 27-year-old said that he was sexually abused at the age of six and sold drugs during a traumatic childhood.
He has admitted for the first time that he went to rehab in an effort to deal with his dependence on sleeping pills.
He said: “I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you kind of a brief understanding.
“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, 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 – and from then, it was like – 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. They were amazing, and they’ve helped me a lot, and that was another thing, you know – when I started living with them, it was hard for me to really open up to them, because I felt within myself, it was easy to get rid of me again.
“I tried to be the best kid I could be for them. I stayed with them from 12, and then started playing first-team, professionally, at 16. It all sort of took off from there.”
Dele moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Everton in 2022 but struggled for form at the Merseyside club. He subsequently moved to Besiktas on loan, where he also failed to find consistency in his performances.
Dele now wants to help others who are struggling with similar problems.
“When I came from Turkey, I found out I needed an operation. I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to a modern day rehab facility for mental health, addiction and trauma,” he said.
“I felt like it was time for me. With things like that, you can’t be told to go there. I made the decision to go there. I was caught in a bad cycle, I was relying on things that were doing me harm. I was waking up every day and was winning the fight, going into training, smiling, showing I was happy but inside I was definitely losing the battle and it was definitely time to change it.
“When I got injured and they told me I needed surgery. I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle begins and I didn’t want it to happen anymore so I went there for six weeks (rehab).
“Everton were amazing about it, they were always supportive of me 100 per cent and I’ll be grateful for them forever. Whatever happens in the future, for them to be so open, honest and understanding, I couldn’t have asked for anything more in that time when I was probably making the biggest decision of my life, something I was scared to do.
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
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Source: The Athletic
