Dele Alli claims he was sexually abused as a child

English footballer Dele Alli has revealed that he was molested by a friend of his alcoholic mother as a child, besides other hardships including six-week-long rehabilitation for an addiction.

The heartbreaking revelations were made by the football player in an interview with The Overlap.

The Everton forward also shared that he considered retiring from football at the age of 24 and underwent rehab to get rid of his addiction to sleeping pills.

Alli is also keen on inspiring those who are going through similar circumstances by stating that “it doesn’t make you weak to get help”.

“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,” the 27-year-old said.

“When I came back from Turkey [following a loan spell at Besiktas] 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.

“So I went there for six weeks. Everton were amazing and supported 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.”

Alli also said he started smoking at the age of seven and dealing drugs when he was just eight. He was also hung off a bridge by a man from his local area as a child.

“[My childhood is] something I haven't really spoken about that much, to be honest. I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you kind of a brief understanding,” Alli continued.

“So, at six, I was molested by my mum's friend, who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic, and that happened at six. I was sent to Africa 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.”

Alli, who was touted as a generational football talent during his time at Tottenham, has featured in 385 club matches, scoring 94 goals and notching up 76 assists.