Everton midfielder Dele Alli has said he hopes to inspire others after revealing he recently spent six weeks at a rehab facility in the United States for addiction, mental health and trauma treatment.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Overlap, Gary Neville's YouTube channel, published on Thursday the former England midfielder said he had become addicted to sleep medication as a way of dealing with traumas from his childhood — which he said included being sexually abused aged six by a family friend.
Alli returned to Everton this summer after spending last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, where he made 15 appearances in all competitions.
However, when told he needed another surgery, he said he could feel a negative cycle beginning again and decided to seek help. «I think with things like that, you can't be told to go there, I think you have to know, and you have to make the decision yourself, otherwise it's not going to work.