Dele Alli has revealed he was sexually abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs two years later – while a recent fight against a sleeping pill addiction led to a six-week stay at a rehab clinic. The Everton midfielder has seen his football career stall in recent seasons but has now spoken about the reasons behind a mental health battle that saw him contemplate hanging up his boots at the age of 24. In an emotional interview, the Everton midfielder and former England international, now 27, fought back tears as he laid bare his difficult upbringing before he was adopted by the Hickford family. Alli also told Gary Neville in The Overlap podcast, in partnership with Sky Bet, that he only came out of rehab last month as he struggled with his mental health. The 37-cap England star, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, said: “When I came back from Turkey, I came in and I found out that I need an operation and I was in a bad place mentally. “I decided to go to like a modern-day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with like addiction, mental health, and trauma because it was something that I felt like it was time for. “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.” Alli – a key part of the England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – also laid bare the sickening abuse he received as a child, saying he was “molested” at the age of six. “(Childhood) is something I haven’t really spoken about that much, to be honest,” he said. “I was sent to Africa (to stay with his father) 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. “There were a number of times my adopted family and my brother – you know, it makes me sad – they would take me to rooms crying, asking me to just speak to them, tell them what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling, and I just couldn’t do it because I wanted to deal with it by myself.” After signing for Tottenham from MK Dons, Alli enjoyed a fine run of form that culminated in playing a key role in England’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. But he was still battling in silence off the pitch – leading to a “scary” addiction to sleeping pills and a reliance on alcohol. “I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it’s probably a problem that not only I have, I think it’s something that’s going around more than people realise in football,” he said. “I think, without me realising it – the things I was doing to numb the feelings I had...I didn’t realise I was doing it for that purpose, whether it be drinking or whatever. “I don’t want to talk about numbers but it was definitely way too much, and there were some scary moments I had. “To take a sleeping tablet and be ready for the next day is fine, but when you’re broken as I am, it can obviously have the reverse effect because it does work for the problems you want to deal with. “That is the problem – it works until it doesn’t. So yes, I definitely abused them too much. It is scary, now I’m out of it and I look back on it. “Probably the saddest moment for me, was when (Jose) Mourinho was (Tottenham) manager, I think I was 24. I remember there was one session, like one morning I woke up and I had to go to training – this is when he’d stopped playing me – and I was in a bad place. “I mean it sounds dramatic but I was literally staring in the mirror – and I was asking if I could retire now, at 24, doing the thing I love. For me, that was heartbreaking to even have had that thought at 24, to want to retire. That hurt me a lot, that was another thing that I had to carry.” Alli said that he had largely been able to mask his difficulties during his football career but to the detriment of his mental health. He added: “To be honest, I was caught in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm and, yeah, I think I was waking up every day and I was winning the fight, you know, going into training, smiling, showing that I was happy. “But inside, I was definitely losing the battle and it was time for me to change it because 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 [rehab], I went there for six weeks and Everton were amazing about it, you know. They supported me 100 per cent and I’ll be grateful to them forever.” Dele Alli was speaking to Gary Neville on a special episode of The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet. Read More Five powerful revelations from Dele Alli’s emotional interview Addicted players urged to contact PFA after Dele Alli’s ‘scary’ pill revelation Dele Alli labels Mauricio Pochettino the ‘best’ manager of his career ‘Powerful and brave’: Dele Alli praised for interview about abuse and addiction Lionesses bonus row could drag on until after World Cup Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber – this is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal now

Australia's Cameron Smith, last year's British Open champion, fired a three-under-par 68 on Sunday for a blowout victory at the LIV Golf League...

Few TV stars burned brighter than Mary Tyler Moore, whose association with two for-the-ages sitcoms burnished her Hall of Fame credentials. Her broader significance as a cultural icon is more open to debate, and receives a workout in "Being Mary Tyler Moore," a dutiful HBO documentary devoted to her life and career that's at its best when illustrating her comedic gifts.

Taylor Swift's concert film hasn't even been released yet and it's already toppling box-office records.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' education policies have faced wide criticism from civil rights leaders and educators, among others, but they also have paid off politically

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is set to compete at the upcoming world championships in Antwerp, Team...

Mikel Arteta is confident Gabriel Jesus will not miss much of the new season as he offered a positive early prognosis on the Arsenal forward’s knee surgery. The Brazil international went under the knife on Wednesday after experiencing irritation following a more serious operation to treat an injury suffered at the World Cup. Jesus spent three months on the sidelines recovering during last season as the Gunners ultimately fell short in their Premier League title tilt. Having been absent for Wednesday night’s Emirates Cup clash with Monaco, Jesus will also miss the start of the new campaign – including Sunday’s Community Shield clash with former club Manchester City. Speaking ahead of the game at Wembley, Arteta said when asked for an update: “He’s fine. “He’s obviously disappointed because he was feeling good and then this issue came up that nobody expected. “We had to do a little procedure there but unfortunately it was the best thing to do and the quicker the better. We made that decision. I’m sure he will be back soon and very fit.” Bukayo Saka was an unused substitute against Monaco due to illness but Arteta confirmed he is available to face City. “Bukayo is much better, he trained today. I don’t expect anybody else to not play,” he added. All of Arsenal’s summer signings are in contention to start on Sunday, with Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz aiming to make an early impact. Rice, signed for a club-record £105million from West Ham, was also a target for Pep Guardiola and City during the summer. The fact the England midfielder ended up at Arsenal rather than rivals City is, according to Arteta, proof the Gunners can compete with the champions on and off the pitch. “The important thing now is that when we have a target that we have the resources that we need to bring that player in – but as well that we can convince him and what we tell him excites him, that he feels inspired and he wants to be part of it,” he added. “That is the feeling we are getting with every player I want to sign but as well with the players we already have here are the ones that we really have to look after, that they maintain that feeling and willingness to be here and drive the club to better every day and, for them as players, improve every day as well.” On what Rice will bring to the team, Arteta continued: “His leadership skill is unquestionable and when you meet him and spend five minutes with him. You already get the feeling and impression that he will help so much, the dressing room and approach that we want to take in games.” Read More Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus to miss start of season after knee surgery Mary Earps insists fearless England ready to avoid World Cup banana skin Can England break cycle of World Cup shocks or will underdogs continue to thrive? Mary Earps insists fearless England ready to avoid World Cup banana skin Can England break cycle of World Cup shocks or will underdogs continue to thrive? Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest news and updates as England prepare for last-16

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's election interference case in Georgia may not conclude until the winter of 2024

Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi – an insider's guide to the emerging economic

Alex de Miñaur and Alexei Popyrin have put Australia back into the Davis Cup final for a second straight year after winning their singles matches in a 2-0 victory over Finland

A former soldier has recounted the terrifying shark attack he suffered during a military exercise which caused him to lose an arm and a leg. Paul de Gelder was a paratrooper who feared for his life during the ordeal, which saw him attacked by a 50-tonne bull shark. The animal tore off two of his limbs during the attack in 2009, and de Gelder spoke about his ordeal during an interview with CBS. The 46-year-old from Melbourne, Australia was taking part in a naval exercise in the Sydney Harbour when it took place. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “I was swimming from point A to point B on the surface on my back and a 10-foot bull shark came up from underneath me,” he said. "It grabbed me by the back of my right leg and my right hand, which was by my side, all in one bite." Describing how he tried to fight back by hitting the shark, de Gelder said: "That's when it started to shake me like a rag doll. As its teeth worked through my flesh and bone like saws, I was overcome by the most intense pain imaginable." He then recalled how he managed to escape the shark’s clutches before having to swim back to his boat surrounded by a pool of blood. "It took me under. The pain and the terror. I thought I was going to die. It removed my hamstring and my hand,” de Gelder added. "I had to swim back to my safety boat with one hand and leg through a pool of my own blood. I didn't think I was going to make it. “I'm very, very lucky and blessed to still be here and breathing today." He returned to work with the armed forces and also became a motivational speaker. However, despite his injuries, he believes that sharks should not be demonised. "I see my role as speaking up for an animal that doesn't have a voice,” he said. "I figure if someone like me who has almost lost their life and two limbs to a shark can understand why they are so important and why they need to be saved, then maybe everyone else should be able to as well." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Richard Moll, a character actor who found lasting fame as an eccentric but gentle giant bailiff on the original sitcom “Night Court,” has died