England and Everton midfielder, Dele Alli, has revealed he was sexually abused by his mother’s friend at the age of six.
Alli, who was born to a Nigerian father and an English mother, also revealed he had an addiction to sleeping tablets, adding that he started selling drugs at the age of eight.
The 27-year-old player also disclosed how he spent six weeks in rehab in the United States this summer.
The former Tottenham midfielder made the disclosure in an interview with ex-Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, on The Overlap, and released on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
After winning the last of his 37 England caps in 2019, Alli fell out of favour at Tottenham which prompted a transfer to Everton, where he has since struggled to make an impact, spending last season on loan at Besiktas.
Alli, who revealed how childhood trauma contributed to the problems he has encountered in recent years, said: “There were a few incidents that can give you a brief understanding.
“At six, I was molested by my mum’s friend who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic.
“I was sent to Africa to learn discipline. Then I was sent back. Seven, I started smoking. Eight I started dealing drugs, selling drugs. An older person told me they wouldn’t stop a kid so I’d ride around with my football and then underneath I’d have the drugs.
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“Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate. At 12, I was adopted. And from then, I was adopted by an amazing family, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’ve done for me…If God created people, it was them. They are amazing and have helped me a lot.”
Alli also revealed he had received treatment for addiction this summer.
He added: “I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it’s probably not a problem only I have. I think it’s something that’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, 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.
“Everton were amazing and supported me. 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.”
Speaking on his addiction to sleeping tablets, Alli said: “Before when I’d stop, I’d still sometimes have the urge, but I’d maintain [being] sober for a period of time and then there’d always be a time where something would happen, I’d get the feelings back and I’d want to escape. I was taking a lot – I don’t want to talk about numbers, but it was definitely way too much.
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“And there were some scary moments. The teams give you them for a reason – to sleep. I wasn’t taking them to sleep, I’d take them throughout the day, sometimes from 11 a.m. if I had the day off. I would never take them if I was playing, but I’d start early if I had the day off, just to escape from reality.
“It started with a doctor giving them to me and then it turned into more than that. When you want something, you’ll find a way. At the start, it was one to sleep – and, for most people, that’s fine. You can handle that, that’s all you need. But, for me, it was fixing something else that I didn’t know I could fix.”
Everton and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) have however commended Alli’s bravery and asked for his privacy to be respected.
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