Everton midfielder Dele Alli say im dey sexually abused wen im bin dey six years old.
For inside one emotional interview wit former England footballer Gary Neville, Alli reveal di abuse e suffer wen e be small pikin before dem adopt am at di age of 12.
E say im dey “molested” at di age of six, e start to dey smoke for age seven and begin use drugs at eight years old.
Alli, age 27-year-old recently spend six weeks for rehab becos of one sleeping pill addiction and mental health issues.
Alli wey be one of football brightest young talents, bin dey part of di England squad wey reach di semi-finals of di 2018 World Cup and help Tottenham to reach Champions League final for 2019.
However, im form drop and e comot from Spurs to join Everton for February 2022 before e go on loan to Turkish side Besiktas last season.
Alli, wey earn di last of im 37 England caps for 2019, bin return to Everton for di end of last season because of injury.
“Wen I come back from Turkey, I discover say I need to do operation and I bin dey for bad place mentally,” e tell The Overlap.
“I bin decide to go one modern-day rehab facility for mental health. Dem dey deal wit addiction, mental health and trauma.
“I feel like say na di time for me. Dem no dey tell pesin to go dia. You gatz know and make di decision yourself or e no go work. I bin dey caught in a bad cycle. I bin dey rely on things wey dey harm me.
“I dey wake up evri day and I bin dey win di fight, I dey go training, smile, and show say I dey happy – but inside I no say I dey lose di battle. And I no say na time for me to change.”
Alli speak on childhood trauma
Alli tok say im come out of rehab for di United States three weeks ago and “im no fit ever imagine how much” di rehab go help am as “plenty tins happun to me wen I dey small wey I never understand and no fit figure out” and di rehab don help me deal wit am.”
E later pause and begin cry wen e start to dey tok about how one non-family member “molest am” wen e be six-year-old.
“My mum bin dey alcoholic. Dem send me go Africa [to stay wit my father] to learn discipline, and dem later send me back,” e tok.
“At seven, I start to dey smoke, at eight I start to dey deal in drugs.
“One elderly pesin bin tell me say dem no go stop pikin dem see on bike, so I begin dey ride my bike evriwia wit my football, and under I get drugs.
“Wen I be eleven, one man from di next estate hang me from a bridge.”
“Twelve, I dey adopted – One amazing family bin adopt me, I for no fit ask for a beta family becos of di tins wey dem do for me. If God create pipo, na dem.”
Alli tok say im no dey in contact wit im biological parents, e add say im feel “betrayed” and “let down” afta dem tok for 2018 say im adopted family dey take advantage of am.
E say im no “blame” im mother “at all” as e see how rehab take help am “I now understand her and know wetin she bin dey go through” but di “hurt” wey those claims cause mean ssy im no want any relationship wit her.
Speaking of im papa, e say im papa contact am na wen e dey play for England, Alli add: “I no want relationship wit am too.”
E change di name on di back of im shirt to Dele for 2016, as e tok say im no feel “any connection” wit di Alli surname.
Alli on addiction
Alli begin play senior football wen e dey di age of 16 for MK Dons for 2012.
E join Tottenham for February 2015 and e do well both for club and kontri before e comot di club.
“E bin don dey go on for a long time and I no know,” Alli tok. “Di tins wey I dey do to numb di feelings I bin dey get:
“E start wit dat and den I dey addicted to sleeping tablets. Na problem wey no be only me get but na sometin wey dey go around pass wetin pipo tink. Maybe me coming out and speaking about am go help pipo.
“I definitely abuse dem too much. I go stop sometimes and go a few months without dem but I bin no dey really deal wit di problem.
“E get really bad at some points and I bin no understand how bad e be but I bin no dey deal wit di root of di problem, wey be – my growing up – di traumas I bin get and di feelings I bin dey hold on to.
Alli on football career
Alli best form for Spurs happun under di club former manager Mauricio Pochettino, wey dem replace wit Jose Mourinho for November 2019.
“Pochettino – I for no fit ask for a better manager, him and im team na amazing pipo,” Alli tok.
“E no be like a footballer and a manager relationship, e bin dey deeper dan dat and dat na wetin I bin need dat time.
“E dey so understanding of di decisions I bin make. E care about me as a pepsin before di football.”
Alli say im “saddest moment” na wen e reach 24, e bin dey play under Mourinho.
E add say: “One morning I wake up and I gatz go training – dis na wen e no stop me from playing – and I bin dey for bad place.
“I just dey look mirror and I dey ask if I fit retire now, at 24, doing di tin wey I love. Dat was heartbreaking.”
E add say Mourinho bin apologise for calling him “lazy” for di All or Nothing documentary.
Alli say im wan “help oda pipo to let dem know say dem no dey alone wit di feelings wey dem get”.
“You fit tok to pipo, e no make you weak to get help. To come out and share my story, I dey appy to do am,” e tok.
On di playing front, Alli dey expect to dey sidelined for “another few weeks” before e try to show say im still get di ability to perform for di Premier League.
“I want to be a better player, a better person,” e tok.
“I look back and I do good, but I no dey satisfied wit dat. You no fit drive your car looking in di rear view mirror. Di journey from here dey just exciting for me.”
