Dele Alli’s biological mother says she ‘hasn’t stopped crying’ since his bombshell interview
Dele Alli’s birth mother has denied knowing that the Everton midfielder was abused at the age of six and claims she hasn’t stopped crying since watching his heartbreaking interview.
The 27-year-old went for a powerful talk with Gary Neville on The Overlap last week, recounting several traumatic experiences from his childhood.
The ex-Tottenham star has drawn support from all corners of the football community, with fellow Premier League players writing messages of support in recent days after opening up about his childhood.
Alli’s mother, Denise, has now responded to the revelations, insisting she knew nothing about the abuse.
“I can’t stop crying since hearing my son describe how he was abused as a child,” she said The sun. “I had no idea he had been abused.
Dele Alli (above) revealed that he spent six weeks in rehab in the US this summer
Gary Neville sat down with Alli and held an emotional interview in which the Everton striker spoke openly about his struggles in recent years
Alli’s birth mother Denise (pictured in 2018) says she can’t stop crying
‘I’m very sorry. It breaks my heart to think that someone I allowed into my house betrayed my trust in the worst possible way.
“I can’t put into words how upset I am that I have lost contact with my son – and I just hope I get the chance to see him again.”
Alli spoke about his family life for the first time during the interview and described the difficult circumstances surrounding his upbringing.
‘[My childhood is] something I haven’t talked much about, to be honest,” he said on The Overlap. “I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you a brief understanding.
‘So when I was six, my mother’s friend, who was around the house a lot, harassed me. My mother was an alcoholic, and that happened at six. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back. I started smoking when I was seven, and when I was eight I started dealing drugs.
“An older person told me they wouldn’t stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my soccer ball, and then I had the drugs underneath, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung from a bridge by a man from the next ward, a man.
“Twelve, I was adopted — and from then on it was like — I was adopted by an amazing family, like I said, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they did for me.
“If God created humans, it was them. They were great, and they helped me a lot, and that was another thing, you know – when I started living with them, it was hard for me to really open up to them, because I felt in myself that it’s easy was to get rid of me again.
“I tried to be the best kid I could be for them. I stayed with them from the age of 12 and then started playing professionally in the first team when I was 16.
The Everton star finally got some respite from his heady early years when he was adopted by a family he described as wonderful.
Alli also revealed that he started dealing drugs when he was eight years old after returning from a visit to Africa
“I couldn’t have asked better people to do what they’ve done for me,” he told Marcel. “If God created humans, they were.”
The former Spurs man has been estranged from his biological mother for several years after he felt she had tried to drive a wedge between him and his adopted parents.
“After that I just felt so betrayed and abandoned,” he added. “And hurt that I just couldn’t keep the relationship with my mother.”
His adopted brother Harry Hickford was one of the voices praising him for sitting bravely, sharing a photo of the pair on his Instagram account from when they were at school together.
Hickford said, “I can’t put into words how proud I am of you @dele. It took so much strength and courage to open up about your recent struggles.
“You’ll never understand how many people you’ve helped with that. You’ve been through so many ups and downs, but you’ve grown into an incredible person that I’m so proud to call my brother.”
Since the telling interview, countless football stars have gathered around the player and shown their support.
He was also treated to much affection from Toffees fans as he undergoes pre-season training with Sean Dyche and Co.
He could be seen signing shirts and posing for photos with fans, one of whom carried a sign reading, “We are all with you, Dele.”
Alli is currently out of Switzerland as part of Everton’s pre-season training schedule.
The promising young player also described his struggles with addiction and personal trauma
The player is managed by his brother Harry (left) and Alli has credited the Hickford family for his successes over the years
The 37-cap England international is hoping to revive his career after an unfortunate loan spell at Besiktas last season.
He hopes to recapture the scintillating form he showed during his time at Spurs, where he was twice named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year.
Alli was also a winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both 2015-16 and 2016-17.
The 27-year-old also played a vital role in England’s memorable run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Dele Alli spoke to The Overlap in conjunction with Sky Bet