Dele Alli opens up on mental health struggles

In a hard-hitting interview, Everton’s Dele Alli has revealed previously unknown details about his difficult childhood.

Alli, now 27, was the victim of abuse as a child and was drawn into the world of drug-dealing from the age of eight. He gave these remarks during an interview with Gary Neville on his ‘The Overlap’ podcast.

The midfielder told Neville: “It’s not something I have spoken about that much but there were a few incidents that give you an understanding.”

He continued: “I was never really dealing with the problem which was growing and the traumas I had, the feelings I was holding on to; I tried to deal with it all by myself.”

Alli is now back at Everton while he recovers from an injury picked up during a loan spell with Besiktas last season.