Former Everton midfielder Dele Alli has opened up about the profound trauma and sexual abuse he suffered during a harrowing childhood, before finding salvation with an adoptive family.
Speaking in a deeply moving interview, Alli revealed how the lack of protection left him vulnerable to horrific abuse.
Recounting the dark spiral that followed, the footballer disclosed that the trauma he endured exposed him to a criminal underworld at a shockingly young age.
He said: “At 6, I was molested by my mom’s friend, he was in the house alone, so my mom is an alcoholic. And then I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and I was sent back. At 7, I started smoking; at 8, I started dealing drugs.”
The former England international further describes how the danger and instability in his life only escalated as he entered his adolescent years, culminating in a terrifying incident where his life was actively threatened by an older man from a neighbouring estate.
He continued: “At 11, I was hung over a bridge by a guy from a next estate, a man. And then at 12, I was adopted and from then, it was like I was adopted by an amazing family. If God created good people, it was them.”
However, despite finally being placed in a safe, loving environment, the deep emotional scars of his early life meant that transitioning into a normal childhood was an uphill battle.
Alli admitted that the psychological toll of his past made it incredibly difficult to trust the people who were trying to save him.
He added: “When I started living with them, it was hard for me to really open up.”