Dele Alli has revealed he was abused at the age of six by one of his ‘mum friends’, as the Everton star reflected on his difficult upbringing in a telling interview.
Alli, 27, shot to the forefront of world football in the early years of his career but has struggled to maintain that success in recent years.
His time at Tottenham shone on one of the sport’s brightest talents, but with problems both on and off the pitch, it was difficult for Alli to hold on.
And now, in an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, Alli provided insight into some of the harrowing incidents that have impacted both his life and career.
‘[My childhood is] something I haven’t talked much about, to be honest,” he said. “I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you a brief understanding.
Former England international Dele Alli (left) has revealed he was abused at the age of six by one of his mother’s (above) friends
Gary Neville shared on Twitter that this was the most “emotional and difficult but inspiring” conversation he’d had on his podcast
‘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.
In 2016, Alli’s mother revealed how her “serious drinking problem” led her to give him away to his adoptive family.
The player also revealed that after returning from a visit to Africa at the age of eight, Alli began dealing drugs
The promising young player also described his struggles with addiction and personal trauma
“I had to let him go to give him a better future. Emotionally it was heartbreaking, but it was the right thing to do,” she said The sun.
“I had a serious drinking problem brought on by my unhappy childhood. Social services visited me after complaints from my neighbors about how I was raising my children, but my children were never taken away.
“It was my decision to let Dele live with another family. I knew that was the only way he could fulfill his dream of becoming a professional footballer.’
In 2018, she told MailOnline that she has had no contact with her son for over two years.
Alli made the decision two years prior to that interview to use Dele’s name on the back of his football shirt instead of his last name. The young star said he felt no affinity for the name Alli.
At the age of 12, Alli left home and moved in with Harry Hickford (right) – who was also in MK Dons’ academy at the time
“It’s very painful that we’ve been estranged from each other and the hardest part is I don’t really know why. One day I hope we can meet and I can give him a big hug,” Denise told MailOnline.
‘I don’t want anything from him. I don’t want any money, just would like to have contact with him.
“I’m a different person than the one who let him go and live with the Hickfords. I just want him to see that. People change, and I’ve changed.’
After leaving his mother’s custody, Alli moved in with half-brother and agent Harry Hickford – who still represents the Everton player.
Dele Alli spoke to The Overlap in conjunction with Sky Bet