Former Spurs star and England international Dele Alli has opened up about his turbulent last few years in football, mental health struggles and difficult childhood, tragically revealing that he was sexually abused as a six-year-old.
Speaking in an exclusive on the latest episode of Gary Neville’s The Overlap, Alli said that “now is the right time to talk” about all of the issues he has been struggling with both personally and professionally in recent times, as well as historically, in what proved to be a very tough chat for both of them.
Writing on social media, Neville confessed that he lost for words after speaking to the one-time elite Premier League player once considered among the best young talents in Europe, urging people to “please watch” as “it’s the most emotional, difficult yet inspirational conversation I’ve ever had in my life.”
Even in sharing just a short trailer on Twitter, you can see that both Alli and his former England coach broke into tears as they discussed trauma, addiction, depression and more.
I’m struggling to find the words to put with this post but please watch my most recent interview with Dele. It’s the most emotional, difficult yet inspirational conversation I’ve ever had in my life. Watch the interview on @wearetheoverlap here https://t.co/60d4IZwQmRpic.twitter.com/0cZowJGW77
Trigger warning: Dele Alli’s episode of The Overlap is undoubtedly the most difficult watch of the series yet.
As the 27-year-old detailed in the tell-all talk, “At six I was molested by my mum’s friend who was at the house a lot” and that his biological “mum was an alcoholic”.
ADVERTISEMENT
He explained how the trauma and being “sent to Africa to learn discipline”, only to be ultimately “sent back” to that same environment, led him to admit himself into a rehabilitation facility in the US and start dealing with his wounds.
During a six-week stay, Dele faced up to other seriously damaging childhood experiences, including taking up smoking aged just seven, starting to sell drugs at eight and being “hung off a bridge by a man” when he was only 11.
ADVERTISEMENT
He went on to add that even after being adopted by an “amazing family” at the age of 12, he struggled to let go of the memories and the feelings that went along with them.
Naturally, after discussing such a variety of difficult subjects, both Alli and Neville eventually broke into tears, with the pundit and commentator doing his best to put an arm around him and a much-needed shoulder to cry on.
Alli also revealed how he had been struggling with a sleeping pill addiction for the last couple of years, taking them “during the day” and sometimes even as “early as 11 in the morning” not only to help him rest (fairly common in professional football) but to “just escape”.
ADVERTISEMENT
In addition to “partying a lot” during the period when he was dropped and called “lazy” by Jose Mourinho at Spurs, he said his reliance on substances became evident and his family were left “crying asking for [him] to tell them what’s wrong”. He even said he debated retiring at the age of just 24.
This, sadly, doesn’t even scratch the surface of the topics they discussed — depression, the pressures of being a footballer and public figure, media treatment and more. You can watch Gary Neville’s The Overlap interview with Dele in full down below:
Dele Alli discusses being sexually abused, getting hooked on sleeping pills, nearly retiring at 24 and various other tough topics.
For anyone struggling with mental health, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Samaritans on 116 123, text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258, contact the NHS on 101 or, if it’s an emergency, call 999 immediately.
You can also find helpful resources regarding sexual abuse support HERE.
Featured Image — The Overlap/Sky Bet (via YouTube)
Sport
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
13th July 2023 
