Everton midfielder Dele Alli has opened up on how he was "molested" at the age of six in an interview with Gary Neville.
The former Tottenham Hotspur protege - who was born to an English mother and Nigerian father before being adopted at the age of 12 - spoke with Neville on an emotional episode of The Overlap, during which he lifted the lid on his childhood trauma.
Alli revealed that he was sexually abused as a six-year-old and subsequently began smoking at seven, as well as dealing and taking drugs one year later.
Alli - who joined the Milton Keynes Dons academy in 2007 - claimed that he would hide the drugs underneath a football while riding around on his bicycle, as he was told that police would not stop a child.
"At six, I was molested. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline. Then I was sent back. Seven, I started smoking. Eight I started dealing drugs, selling drugs," Alli told Neville.
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"An older person told me they wouldn't stop a kid so I'd ride around with my football and then underneath I'd have the drugs.
"Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate. At 12, I was adopted. And from then, I was adopted by an amazing family, I couldn't have asked for better people to do what they've done for me... If God created people, it was them. They are amazing and have helped me a lot."
The 27-year-old was regarded as one of the most promising young stars in world football during his breakthrough years at Tottenham, but his form declined under Jose Mourinho, and he departed for Everton on a free transfer in January 2022.
Alli has thus far failed to reignite his career at Goodison Park and spent the 2022-23 campaign on loan with Turkish giants Besiktas, whose manager Senol Gunes stated in January that the England international did not "deserve" to play.
Alli netted three goals in 15 matches before returning to Everton early due to injury, and the midfielder also confessed that he entered rehab for an addiction to sleeping pills, and he found himself caught up in a "bad cycle" during the past year of his career.
"I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it's probably not a problem only I have. I think it's something that's going around more than people realise in football," Alli added.
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"Now is probably the right time to tell people. It's tough to talk about it as it's quite recent and something I've hid for a long time and I'm scared to talk about. When I came back from Turkey, I came back and found out I needed an operation.
"I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to a modern rehab facility that deals with addiction and mental health and trauma. I felt it was time for me. You can't be told to go there, you have to make the decision yourself.
"I was in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm. I was waking up every day, winning the fight going into training every day smiling - willing to show I was happy. Inside I was losing the battle and it was time to change. When I was told I needed surgery I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle began.
"Everton were amazing and supported me. I will be grateful to them forever. For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn't ask for anything more during a time I was making the biggest decision of my life - doing something I was scared to do. I'm happy I've done it."
Both Everton and the PFA released statements in support of Alli following the hard-hitting conversation with Neville, and the Toffees confirmed that he would not conduct any more interviews while he focused on his recovery from injury.
Alli has played 13 times in an Everton shirt since leaving Tottenham, where he came up with 67 goals and 61 assists in 269 matches and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2016 and 2017.
