Fans praise ‘very brave’ Danny Murphy for speaking ‘so honestly’ about his addiction to cocaine, after the former Liverpool star revealed his post-retirement struggles
Fans have praised former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy for speaking openly about his addiction to cocaine after retiring from football.
During a recent episode of the Ben Heath Podcast, Murphy, 47, admitted he was struggling to cope with retirement after hanging up his boots in 2013, while dealing with financial problems and the breakdown of his marriage with actress Joanna Taylor, he switched to cocaine.
“I was addicted to cocaine and smoking pot,” he said. ‘The drink, I could live without it. I was not an alcoholic. I could sit in a house with alcohol and not drink it.
‘I was (addicted to cocaine) for a while, yes. I got to the point where I thought I couldn’t do anything without it. That was nonsense, of course I could.
‘At first you can do it, you do it once a week, twice a week, an extra third day and eventually it builds up and takes hold of you.’
Danny Murphy has spoken openly about his addiction to cocaine after retiring from football
Murphy won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup twice with Liverpool but struggled to come to terms with retirement
Murphy, who won two League Cups, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup with Liverpool, appeared on talkSPORT on Wednesday morning to talk more about drug addiction and gave his honest opinion on the subject before he found himself in trouble.
“Before I had problems with myself, I judged people,” he admitted. ‘I used to think: if you use drugs or are depressed, then you are weak, there is something wrong with you. You have no resilience. Get a grip on yourself.’
Murphy’s views have since changed and he previously wrote about his addiction in his column for the Mail on Sunday.
When asked by talkSPORT presenter Jim White – who has also been honest in the past about his own battle with alcohol addiction – why he decided to speak out, Murphy explained his reasoning.
“It always felt like it was kind of hanging over me,” he added.
“It took me a few years to get to a comfortable place where I could share and not actually worry about the consequences. The kids were older, the kids knew, I had talked to them. That was probably the most important thing.’
Murphy appeared on talkSPORT on Wednesday morning and revealed why he had decided to talk so openly about his cocaine addiction
Murphy also talked about how some people had threatened to make his secret public before he revealed it himself.
“It’s not why I did it [went public] but there were people in my past who used that threat,” Murphy said.
‘Not that it ever happened. For me, the delay in talking about it for the three or four years that I did that was the kids. But they’re cool and I talked to them about it last night.”
Murphy speaking candidly about his battle with cocaine addiction has led to praise from fans on social media.
Liverpool fan group Empire of the Kop posted on X: ‘Very brave of Danny Murphy to open up about his cocaine addiction.’
Another X user wrote: ‘Good for you @talkSPORT guys and Danny Murphy for speaking so candidly about this this morning.
‘SO MANY people in society are affected by these addictions, yet we consider it taboo. It should not be taboo: so many people are users. Good that you talk so honestly. All the best DM.”
Similar sentiments were shared by another fan who urged others to follow in Murphy’s footsteps and seek help after the ex-Premier League star entered therapy to deal with his addiction.
“I think it’s good for people like Danny Murphy and @JimWhite to talk about their own struggles with things like addiction because it shows that we’re all human and someone going through it can hear it and see that it’s everyone can happen and can help they seek help. Well done,” they said.
One advocate also argued that there should be no shame in drug addiction, as they praised Murphy for speaking out.
“Cocaine is a huge problem in every sector and industry, both professional and social,” she added.
‘It’s great to see people being brave and speaking out about their struggles with it so that others know they are not alone in that struggle.
‘Drug addiction is not a shame. To pronounce. Ask for help.’