Gary Neville and Dele Alli broke down in tears as the Everton midfielder candidly opened up on traumatic events in his life.
Alli revealed he considered retiring at 24 and recently spent a spell in rehab to improve his mental health.
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The 27-year-old took time away from the game after picking up a long-term injury while on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, and has now said: “Mentally I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in.”
But appearing on an episode of Neville’s The Overlap, the former England midfielder and assistant coach were reduced to tears as Alli recalled a series of horrifying events from his childhood.
The ex-Tottenham star revealed that he was molested at the age of six and began dealing drugs at the age of eight, he was later adopted at the age of 12.
Alli also said he became addicted to sleeping tablets in an effort to quell his mental trauma and worries the problem is more widespread in football.
But in a moment that left Alli and Neville in tears, when asked about his childhood, Alli said: “It’s something I haven’t spoken about much but 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, and then I was sent back. Seven I began smoking and eight I began dealing drugs.
“An older person told me they wouldn’t stop a kid on a bike so I’d ride around with my football and underneath I’d have the drugs.
“11 I was hung off a bridge by a man from the next estate, and at 12 I was adopted.
“I was adopted by an amazing family and I couldn’t have asked for better people, they’ve helped me a lot.”
Alli discussed his parents, saying that he no longer speaks to his birth mother or father.
He revealed that they left him feeling ‘betrayed and hurt’ by making accusations about his adopted family in the media when he was 18.
After his birth parents said he had been ‘taken advantage of’ by his new family, Alli said he ‘couldn’t keep the relationship’ with his mother, and didn’t want a relationship with his father.
