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      Tyson Fury opens up on crushing 7am call that told him of cousin’s murder – as family feared it would push him over edge

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      TYSON Fury was relaxing in Majorca with wife Paris when he was woken at 7am with a call that changed his life. His beloved cousin Rico Burton, who he treated as a brother, had been stabbed to death outside a club, at the age of 31.
      Tyson was devastated by his close cousin’s murderCredit: NETFLIX
      Rico was stabbed on a night out in Cheshire
      The devastating effect on the world heavyweight champ is captured in moving scenes in the new Netflix series At Home with the Furys.
      Tyson, who has bipolar disorder and was struggling with retirement from the ring at the time, plunged into a deep low on hearing the news, leaving wife Paris fearing he would spiral into a long and damaging depression. 
      “Tyson got the call early in the morning,” she says on camera. “He went into a really low, quiet mood which isn’t good for Tyson.
      “Such a devastating phone call can change everything that’s going on in his life and I think Tyson found it really hard to process that it happened.”
      Read More in Features
      Horror stabbing
      Rico was stabbed in the neck with a seven-inch blade during a brawl outside a group of bars in Altrincham, Cheshire.
      Last week, killer Liam O’Pray, 22, was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court over the senseless murder.
      At the time of the tragedy, Tyson posted a heartfelt plea to end knife crime. But the nine-part documentary, released on August 16, reveals the full impact of the tragedy on The Gypsy King, and the part it played in his triumphant comeback to the ring, in December.
      It also highlights the fears that both Tyson, 34, and Paris, 32, – who have six kids and seventh on the way – have about the long term effects of the sport, including brain damage, and the battle between his poor mental health when inactive and the risk of physical harm in the ring.
      Most read in Boxing
      Tyson struggles to deal with his grief in the days afterCredit: Netflix
      Hundreds gathered for the funeral of tragic Rico
      Thug Liam O’Pray was jailed for lifeCredit: Greater Manchester Police
      The night of Rico’s death, Tyson, dad John and Paris were watching the world heavyweight title bout between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk, in Majorca, ahead of a meet-and-greet with fans.
      Tyson went on to party with Paris, unaware of the horrific events unfolding at home until the call from his cousin Justin, the following morning, brought him crashing down.
      “Last night I was on a high after the Usyk fight,” he says. “We had a great party, me and Paris were dancing. It was a great night. 
      “Then this morning I got a phone call telling me my cousin Rico has been killed. It’s like someone took the plug out of me and all the life had come out of me. Rico had a whole lot of life to live and now he’s finished, shocking news. ”
      Reminiscing about their childhood together he adds: “Me and Rico are really close. We trained at the same boxing club together. We used to play up and down when we were small kids, hide and seek, building dens. Precious moments.”
      Fears of suicidal thoughts
      While anxious Paris sits by the pool in the luxury villa, heartbroken Tyson lies on a chaise longue inside, staring blankly into space.
      Mum-of-six Paris, who met Tyson when he was 17 and she was 15 and married him in 2008, worries that the grief will overwhelm him.
      Remembering the spiral of depression and drug and drink addiction that followed the death of their unborn baby and his beloved uncle Hughie, in the same hospital, in 2014, she says: “Tyson doesn’t handle death very well. 
      “He doesn’t know the normal procedures of life and he handles it in his own way, so his own way today is that he’s locked himself in the room and hasn’t really spoken to any of us since.
      “I think he’d like to be at home right now but he can’t go anywhere because he’s got something like 1,500 people coming to the show tonight and to be the cheery, upbeat Tyson Fury they’ve all paid to come and see.
      “He’ll dig deep and find his space because he is a showman and that’s what they do.”
      Rico was stabbed in the neck outside pubs in Goose Green, AltrinchamCredit: PA
      Paris worries about how Tyson handles griefCredit: Courtesy of Netflix
      Dad John was anxious about the effect Rico’s death had on TysonCredit: Courtesy of Netflix
      The boxer, who has been open about his mental health struggles, ballooned to 28st and was drinking 18 pints a day at his lowest ebb in 2015, and admitted he was on the brink of suicide.
      With the sad news coinciding with his feelings of having no purpose, having stepped away from the ring, Paris fears a return to those dark days but says she’ll pull him through.
      “Tyson has taken Rico’s death really hard so I’m supporting him 100 per cent. We’re in it, ride or die,” says Paris.
      “Me and Tyson, we’ve been through some tough times, we’ve had some serious tough situations whether it’s been the kids being ill,  or me being in hospital or Tyson having his depression times, we went through some tough stuff. We can make it through anything.”
      But dad John worries the new heartbreak could send him over the edge again.
      “Tyson doesn’t deal very well with death but none of us do,” he says. “What he tends to do is think to himself ‘Life isn’t worth living. What am I doing all this for? Why have I done what I’ve done in my life when it can all be taken away from you in the blink of an eye.”
      ‘Awakening day’
      While Tyson retreats into himself, he puts on a brave face to attend the Majorca show, just hours after his loss.
      He tells the audience about the moment he was told of Rico’s death: “I’ve had my blood turned cold because you never know when your time’s up and you’re only ever one phone call away from disaster so it’s been a real awakening day. 
      “I’ve had that many emotions today I’m not too sure how to handle it. You people came to see the show but I’ve had the f***ing day from hell to be honest with you. 
      “But it’s made me realise one thing – that life and time is very precious and it can be taken away from anybody at any time.”
      It’s made me realise one thing – that life and time is very precious and it can be taken away from anybody at any timeTyson Fury
      Flying home, he barely speaks and when they meet Paris’ mum Lynda for a pub lunch, close to their Morecambe Bay home, he sits alone outside and broods.
      “Tyson hasn’t said more than ten words to me in the last two days,” says Paris. “Tyson wants to stick his head in the sand, I’m letting him have that moment for himself because obviously he’s still upset.”
      The troubled champ withdrew into himself after the newsCredit: Netflix
      Tragic Rico was like a brother to Tyson
      Just two days later, on a run along the bay, the ever-impulsive fighter finds his own solution to his low mood – posting an Instagram message challenging boxing promoters to raise £500million to lure him back into the ring,
      “If I’m going to put all on the line boys it has to be half a billion or more,” he says, giving them seven days to raise the cash, “If not, thank you very much it’s been a blast. So let the games begin.”
      Blindsided, Paris worries he’s not in the “right frame of mind” to be making huge decisions, but the dramatic change in Tyson’s mood, as he begins to dream of a comeback, gives he pause for thought
      After she challenges him over the post, he jokes: “If I got half a billion I might start shopping at Sainsbury’s instead of Asda and if I get another half a billion, I might up the ante and shop in M&S. Come on!”
      “You can instantly see how delighted he is in boxing talk,” she says. “You can see the mood lift on him, he’s excited, he’s happy, just because he’s had a conversation about boxing.”
      Even so, Paris is shocked when Tyson announces he has made a deal on his comeback, without telling her, announcing in a restaurant that: “I can confirm I’m coming home baby. I’m fighting Nov 12.”
      Tyson returned to the ring to battle Chisora in DecemberCredit: Getty
      Tyson is devoted to his familyCredit: parisfury1/instagram
      To make matters worse he tells his worried wife: “I’m sad that I ever thought of retirement. I’m going to continue ‘til I can’t fight anymore. I’m going to be like all the rest of them, battered to pieces with brain damage.”
      “Boxing is not a game, it’s a very dangerous sport,” she says. “One punch can cause life devastating effects.”
      But Tyson reveals he is “lost” without the sport and that he felt choked by retirement.
      “Why am I boxing? Because it’s the only thing I’ve got in my life,” he says. “That might sound strange with me having a family. However, having retired for a few months, I realise it’s the only thing I can do. Without it I’m lost.”
      Tyson announced he was coming out of retirement in October 2022 and defeated Derek Chisora in his comeback bout, in front of a 60,000 strong crowd at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium in December.
      He is set to fight UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 28.
      With his second retirement over, Tyson has no plans to quit for some time.
      Read More on The Sun
      “When I knew it was finally over it was like someone cut a lifeline on me and stopped me breathing almost,” he says.  “As soon as I said I was coming back, it was gone, and I’m feeling great again. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to let go.”
      At Home with the Furys is available on Netflix from August 16 More

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      Tyson Fury’s Netflix show goes inside wild life of boxing superstar – with 6 kids, chaotic moods & lavish impulse buys

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      “UNLESS you live with us, I don’t think you can understand what really our life is . . . how mad it is,” says Tyson Fury’s wife Paris in their new Netflix reality show.But for the millions of devoted fans of boxer the Gypsy King, At Home With The Furys offers a pretty good insight into their chaotic world, with six lively kids, during his short-lived retirement in 2022.
      Champ Tyson Fury versus Dillian Whyte in 2022Credit: Getty
      Paris and Tyson with their broodCredit: Courtesy of Netflix
      The couple enjoy a rare moment of relaxationCredit: NETFLIX
      As the heavyweight champ, 34, battles with his hiatus from the ring, feeling lost and lacking purpose, Paris worries he will slip back into the depression and addiction that led him to the brink of suicide when he also quit the sport in 2019.
      She says: “When he last stopped boxing, Tyson had an alcohol and drug addiction.
      “He suffers from a few mental health problems. He’s got ADHD, depression, and it all spiralled out of control. We had a bad two years.
      “There’s no point saying that won’t happen again because that’s the elephant in the room I think about.”
      Read More on Tyson Fury
      Tyson’s bipolar disorder, diagnosed in 2017, means he has huge highs and deep lows and is prone to spontaneous acts — from booking a last-minute trip to Iceland to “pick a fight” with the world’s strongest man, to declaring he’s going to buy Blackpool airport and a second private jet.
      Somehow long-suffering Paris, 32, pregnant with baby No7, manages to find a way through the mayhem he creates, while calmly running their Morecambe Bay household and bringing up their huge brood, Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, 11, Prince Tyson II, seven, Valencia, five, Prince Adonis Amaziah, four, and Athena, who turns two this week.

      “Paris is amazing,” says Tyson. “We’ve been together 18 years and she’s put up with everything, all the good and bad times, the highs and lows. I wouldn’t be here without her. Where would I be? Dead, probably.”
      Tyson and Paris, who come from a traveller background, met when he was 17 and she was 15.
      Most read in Boxing
      For their first date they watched King Kong at the cinema, and she recalls: “I kept thinking, ‘Is he gonna kiss me?’ I’d never been kissed.
      “The movie went on for three hours and the moment King Kong climbs up the Empire State Building, that’s when Tyson decides to lean in and kiss me. It was the most awkward and embarrassing moment of my life.
      “Then he says, ‘Are you going to go out with me? Are you going to be my girlfriend?’ So I said, ‘Yeah’.”
      They married in 2008 and Tyson went on to become the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world, and now has an estimated £51million fortune.
      But the nine-part Netflix series also shows his grounded side.
      As he walks his dog he greets the many locals who say a friendly hello, posing happily for pictures and passing the time of day.
      With a collection of supercars which includes a Ferrari and a £384,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom, the self-proclaimed “King of the Chavs” prefers to drive around in his £500 2006 VW Passat, which he tells Paris is “worth less than your shoes”.
      And while Paris plans “Instagram-perfect” parties, including a lavish bash to mark Athena’s christening with a room full of pink balloons and a soft play area, the Gypsy King gets boxer shorts, socks and a £5 T-shirt for his 34th birthday.
      “Money isn’t the be all and end all of everything,” he says.
      “But for Paris it’s probably harder to go from lemonade to Champagne and back to lemonade again, rather than never having Champagne.”
      ‘Paris is amazing. Without her I’d be dead, probably’
      Tyson is a mass of contradictions. A devoted dad who often declares “home is where the heart is and where the family is”, he rails against the mundane routine of everyday life.
      Mucking in with household chores, he moans: “I’m the busiest retired man in the world.
      “I’d rather get punched the f*** out of me by ten world champions than stay at home a week and do all these jobs.”
      He is little help during the chaos before the morning school run, with Paris running around the house screaming: “Adonis, are you up yet?
      “Venezuela, are you in the bathroom?” — and when he’s left to look after the kids while she takes a ten-hour round trip to appear on TV’s Loose Women, he takes them all camping without telling her.
      Returning to an empty house, Paris fumes: “I’ve got a giant, 6ft 9in child. I don’t see the sense, the kids are in school tomorrow.
      “That’s the problem with living with him, he’s so up and down, which I suppose is a definition of the bipolar.
      “Instead of just being set in the routine of taking kids to school, which is normal, he’ll wake up and — ­bam! — we’re doing something else.
      I’d rather get punched the f*** out of me by ten world champions than stay at home a week and do all these jobs.Tyson Fury
      “I try to go along with his mood swings and his little ideas but these sorts of things are a definite interference in life.”
      She adds: “I’ll humour my husband and pretend this is normality when really, it is absolute madness.
      “But if I don’t let him have his little moments he gets a bit down and depressed and he gets upset.”
      In another impulsive moment, after goading strongman Thor Bjornsson over social media, Tyson flies to Iceland to challenge him to a fight.
      But on landing, he discovers Thor is in Rome, sending Tyson into a downer and causing him to fall off the wagon and sink a few pints.
      All this is witnessed by his dad John, who says: “When I’m looking at Tyson drinking I’m watching carefully because it caused so much trouble in the past. Last time Tyson retired he wasn’t in a good place and the fear of him going back there I couldn’t handle. I’d rather be dead than see him go down that road.”
      The undefeated champ’s frustration at having handed in his title is at its most palpable when he watches Anthony Joshua’s 2022 bout with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk.
      ‘Boxing is not a game, it’s very dangerous’
      Dismissing the fight — which Usyk won — as “s***e”, he is pumped up as he posts on social media that he would “go over there and fight them both on the same night”, as worried Paris watches.
      She says: “Boxing is not a game, it’s a very dangerous sport. One punch can cause life-devastating effects. He’s got nothing to prove.
      “He’s never lost. He’s won all the belts. It wouldn’t be worth it to keep going in the ring and take those risks.”
      Shortly after the bout, Tyson announced his return to the ring, taking on Derek Chisora in a December 2022 clash that saw him once again walk away the victor.
      While Paris and Tyson come across as a solid couple, sometimes his behaviour clearly upsets her.
      As he returns from an event in the Isle of Man, Paris, who has been busy making his favourite trifle, has his coat thrust at her as he grunts that he’s going to see his dog, leaving her ranting: “I feel like putting the trifle over his head.”
      After arranging a romantic picnic and boat trip on a Scottish loch, he leaves her stranded in a tiny dinghy because he is annoyed, and he walks out when Athena’s christening party is in full swing, telling his wife he’s going to walk the dog.
      “When I’m low, Paris gets the brunt of it,” he says. “I don’t feel good about that.”
      Paris adds: “Tyson’s moods are on a regular up and down. It is hard to deal with on a day-to-day basis.
      “It does get on our nerves but I love him and I’m going to support him and help him.”
      But she admits she wanted to flee the marriage when his addiction and depression were at their worst.
      I’ve got a giant, 6ft 9in child. I’ll humour my husband and pretend this is normality when really, this is absolute madness.Paris Fury
      She says: “I don’t know what is worse, Tyson coming out of retirement and risking his physical health or staying in retirement and risking his mental health, because we’ve been at the bottom before. Tyson was going through the darkest time of his life.
      “He got massively overweight. The only thing he was interested in was lying in bed most of the day and drinking through the night.
      “At that point I really wanted to leave. But I thought if I left him, Tyson would go through with what he kept saying he wanted to do, which was kill himself.”
      Tyson has always been open about his fragile mental health and admits his 2019 retirement sent him to the brink.
      He says: “I’ve had a lot of dark moments thinking, ‘You’re going to end up in a padded room. You’ve lost your mind’.
      “You have thoughts of not wanting to live any more, even though you’ve got a family and kids and everything to live for.
      “Exercise for me is the key. The moment I stop exercising I go straight back to Hotel California — you can check out any time you want but you can never leave.
      “That’s mental health. It’s not IF you get unwell again, it’s when.”
      Dad John, a former boxer, agrees with Tyson’s view that regular exercise is the only thing that keeps mental illness at bay.
      He adds: “If I don’t train, I can’t function, I can’t think straight.
      “I’ve had it all my life. When I was younger we didn’t know anything about it. We thought a kick up the backside would sort it out.
      “In Tyson’s case, you could have all the fame or fortune the world has got to offer. When mental health kicks in, you can still slip 100 miles an hour to a dark place.”

      At Home With The Furys is released on Netflix on August 16.

      Nice thing in a small package
      THE touching moment Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague tell his brother Tyson and Paris they are expecting a baby is caught on camera in the reality show.
      And Tommy reveals the sweet way the influencer broke the news to him.
      Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury tell his brother Tyson and Paris they are expecting a babyCredit: NETFLIX
      Tommy reveals the sweet way the influencer broke the news to himCredit: NETFLIX
      “I came home and she had a little parcel and I thought it was a designer T-shirt or something,” he tells Tyson.
      “I thought, ‘That’s nice’ and I opened it up and it was a little baby-gro. That was it, it was a shock.”
      The couple, who met in Love Island in 2019 and had baby Bambi in January, also allowed cameras into their home for the documentary.
      Molly-Mae tells about joining the Fury family and how they have welcomed her.
      “I am the only non-traveller ‘wife’ but I’ve never felt out of place,” she says.
      “They’ve been so lovely to me and made me feel part of the family straight away.”
      Paris has nothing but praise for the 24-year-old and says she knows how daunting it can be to fit in. “Molly is a lovely girl,” she says.
      “Coming into the Fury family is intimidating because there are 6ft 9in giants walking around like it’s normal.
      “When I met Tyson they were all welcoming and I think if you come into the family and just embrace it, roll with it, you’ll get along fine.”
      She adds: “Chaos is a way of life for the Fury family. I don’t think you can impose order.”
      However, the different upbringings between the Love Island sweethearts is clear when they discuss the number of kids they want, with Tommy saying he wants ten and Molly-Mae drawing the line at three.
      She also worries about the differences ahead when it comes to raising her daughter, with Tommy insisting that, like Tyson’s children, they will be raised in the “traditional” traveller way.
      While Tyson’s oldest Venezuela left school at 11, as is customary in the community, Molly-Mae is keen for Bambi to complete her formal education.
      Read More on The Sun
      “With Tommy being raised a traveller, he’s had a conversation about our child not going to school but that’s non-optional,” she says.
      “I’ve been raised differently to that and there’s no question of our child not going to school. I just hope that doesn’t cause too many rifts.”
      Tyson poses for a selfie with fansCredit: NETFLIX
      Prince Adonis Amaziah gives the finger on the showCredit: NETFLIX More

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      I was a drug addict – now I’m a tattoo artist and charge celebs £3,000 per inking…how I turned my life around

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      A DRUG addict who turned his life around now makes up to £3,000 per inking from celebrity clients – here’s how he did it.Dan Rossetter, from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex had delved so deeply into the crippling world of addiction, he knew he’d end up dead or in prison if he didn’t stop.
      The 40-year-old travels up to 600 miles away to tattoo celebrity clientsCredit: mediadrumimages
      At the age of 30 he had reached a breaking point after dealing with years of painful trauma from being sexually abused throughout his childhood.
      Battling with PTSD, Dan soon lost his job as a BOC gasman – but tried to find some sense of justice in 2013.
      He bravely spoke out about what had been done to him from the age of six to 11, and three years later the survivor saw his abuser sentenced to 13 years in jail.
      However, this did not put an end to Dan’s addiction, and by March 2019 he knew it would either kill him or land him in prison.

      Dan, 40, who now lives in London, told MediaDrumWorld: “My addiction was getting worse, I got to the point where my mental health was deteriorating rapidly and I was feeling very suicidal.
      “With a lot of hard work and help from some very good lifestyle coaches I managed to get myself clean and sober and then my obsession became work and being the best version of myself.”
      Now four years sober, Dan travels to tattoo pro-footballer clients who live up to 600 miles away, and has amassed nearly 200,000 TikTok followers.
      “I’ve tattooed the most footballers out of any other tattoo artist in the world; I’ve documented a lot of this on TikTok which then blew up so my demand for general public clients has also increased massively,” Dan explained.
      Most read in Football
      “I have clients travelling from all over the UK and also from abroad.
      “Recently I flew over to Spain to tattoo Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard, he wanted a scroll with his five kids’ names in it.”
      The TikTok sensation recounted his biggest work of art was for Chelsea Football Club’s Victor Moses.
      It took the talented artist more than eight hours to complete the black and grey tiger back tattoo.
      HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
      Dan is not new to the industry and kick started his career back in 2010.
      He opened a studio in Gatwick but struggled to manage the business for five years, amid his declining mental health.
      “We made the decision to close the doors in 2015 I partnered up with my business partner Ahmed Alsanawi, AKA A Star Barber,” the tattoo artist said.
      “He is one of the biggest barbers in the world for haircuts for celebrities.
      “I have now been in the game for the last 13 years so I’ve gained a lot of snowball effect returning clients that had kept me busy over the years but what I am most recognised for is tattooing professional footballers.”
      He said clients can fork out anything ranging from £700 to £3,000 depending on the session.
      In his bid to stay at the top of his game, the dedicated artist puts in 12-hour shifts busy days.
      ‘SACRIFICES’
      Despite Dan’s gratitude for the success and fortune he’s found in his dream career – it does come at a cost.
      Being on the road and heavy shift hours has seen the TikTok star “burning out mentally and physically” at times.
      Although he has come a long way since turning his life around in 2019, Dan admitted he does still “struggle” to manage the “demanding” business.
      “Also my neck and back has taken a big hit which to this day still causes me a lot of problems,” he added.
      I’ve tattooed the most footballers out of any other tattoo artist in the world.”Dan Rossetta
      However, none of this keeps Dan away from his studio.
      He said: “But I get to have fun at work too, I have a great memory of when I let four Chelsea players tattoo random things on my leg from a emoji poop to a disabled badge, also the Adidas logo is on there.
      “It was a funny afternoon.”
      KEY TO SUCCESS
      After a difficult start to his career journey, Dan wants to educate other people who want to join him.
      One piece of golden advice he offered was to find ways of expanding your portfolio.
      He said: “Create yourself a portfolio of your artwork and keep knocking at the doors of local studios.
      “Become a pest and keep asking until you get an opportunity.”
      Read More on The Sun
      The 40-year-old reminded young artists to stay “relentless” despite it being such a hard industry to break into.
      “If you want it enough you will get your opportunity,” said Dan.
      Dan worked as a BOC gasman before falling into addiction and struggle with his mental healthCredit: mediadrumimages
      He is now four years sober and working in the top circles within the industryCredit: mediadrumimages
      The tattoo artist pictures with Arsenal’s Emile Smith RoweCredit: mediadrumimages More

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      Brave Dele Alli pictured in Everton training for first time since heartbreaking interview about abuse and pill addiction

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      DELE ALLI has returned to Everton training for the first time since his brave tell-all interview.The England midfielder, 27, revealed his sleeping pill addiction and says a huge number of players are suffering with the issue.
      Dele Alli has retuned to training with Everton during pre-seasonCredit: Getty
      Dele returned to training for the first time after his powerful interviewCredit: Getty
      He made the admission in a hard-hitting interview with Gary Neville in which he also revealed he was sexually abused as a child.
      The star, who spent part of last season on loan at Besiktas, also opened up on his difficult childhood during which he sold drugs at eight and was hung off a bridge at 11.
      Today Dele was pictured working with Toffees staff in Evian, France as he takes his first steps to returning to the game.
      With Dele watching on, Sean Dyche’s men began their pre-season  with a 2-1 win over Stade Nyonnais.
      Read More on Football
      A leading sleep expert agrees with the Everton ace that the addiction to prescription drugs is ‘rife’ in English football.
      James Wilson, who has worked with several sides in England, said: “You hear stories from players and staff that say: ‘You should go and work with this club because every first-team player is taking sleeping pills every night.
      “They are not generally good for your sleep and they are not good for recovery so that is why they are not a good idea in football.
      “The fact they are addictive is the cherry on the cake. The use is rife in football because the job itself contributes to poor sleep.
      Most read in Football
      “They can be addictive but also the sleeping tablet doesn’t give you sleep, it knocks you out. Sleeping pills impact on REM sleep.
      “Without that  REM sleep, the sleeping pill without him knowing will have contributed to him not being able to deal with the mental health issues that he was living with.”
      Wilson does not blame club doctors for prescribing sleeping pills but has urged further training and education to ensure a severe change  in the attitude towards them.
      He added: “We need to be educating players younger about sleep and we need to support players around their mental health.
      “Often poor sleep can be caused by things going on in the players’ lives.
      “We are not great at supporting men’s feelings. There needs to be more done there.
      Dele opened up about his battle with a sleeping pill addictionCredit: Getty
      Dele also revealed he suffered abuse when he was a childCredit: Getty
      “There needs to be better-trained staff. It is more about nutritionists, physios or sports therapists having a better understanding of sleep so they can advise better.
      “There also needs to be a cultural change. If senior and successful players are taking them then younger players look up to them and it becomes a myth.
      “The problem in football is we approach sleep like we approach training: ‘The harder I try the better I get. If I put X, Y, Z in, I’ll get X, Y, Z out’ but sleep is not like that.”
      Former Oxford United psychotherapist Gary Bloom added: “Football clubs are only just waking up to the realisation that when people have off-field issues, these inevitably end up on the field.
      Read More on The Sun
      “More clubs should be employing psychotherapists who are able to mix and  mingle freely with players and warn them of the consequences if they don’t clean up their personal problems.”
      If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. More

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      Dele Alli breaks down in tears and reveals he went to rehab for six weeks and became addicted to sleeping pills

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      DELE ALLI has revealed in a brave and heartbreaking interview that he became addicted to sleeping pills following his nightmare stint in Turkey.The England international returned to Everton in April after injury cut short his season-long loan with Turkish giants Besiktas.
      Dele Alli returned to Everton in April following a nightmare stint in Turkey with BesiktasCredit: SKY SPORTS
      The former England international went on a downward spiral after his return to EnglandCredit: SKY SPORTS
      Alli, 27, found himself on a downward spiral after returning to England, excessively drinking and consuming sleeping pills.
      And in a desperate bid to get himself back on the straight and narrow, he checked himself into a rehab facility.
      During an appearance on The Overlap with Gary Neville, he revealed: “Now is the right time for me to tell people what’s been going on.
      “It’s tough to talk about because it’s something I’ve hid for a long time.
      Read more on Dele Alli
      “I’m scared to talk about it.
      “When I came back from Turkey I found out I needed an operation I was in a bad place mentally and I decided to go to a modern day rehab facility for mental health.
      “They deal with addiction and trauma. I felt it was time for me.
      “You can’t be told to go there – you have to know and make the decision yourself or it’s not going to work.
      Most read in Football
      Overlap host Gary Neville comforted Dele Alli as he bravely opened upCredit: SKY SPORTS
      “I was caught in a bad cycle and things that were doing me harm.”
      Alli – who also revealed he was sexually abused by a friend of his mum as a child – said his decision to check into rehab was fully supported by Everton, who gave him additional help during the difficult time.
      He said: “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’s once-promising career has been on a downward trajectory for the last few years.
      And he admits his downturn had him contemplating retirement at the age of 24.
      The former Tottenham man said: “One morning I woke up and I had to go training.
      “I remember staring in the mirror and I was asking if I could retire now. At 24. Doing the thing I love.
      Alli revealed he contemplated hanging up his boots aged 24Credit: THE OVERLAP
      “For me that was heartbreaking.”
      He added: “It’s always been me against myself in everything.
      “I was winning the fight, showing I was happy. But inside, I was losing the battle.”
      Overlap host Neville shared a tweet that called the conversation “the most emotional, difficult yet inspirational conversation I’ve ever had in my life”.
      Footie fans got to see what Alli was like off the pitch in Amazon’s 2020 All or Nothing documentary on Tottenham.
      But the former MK Dons ace was far from happy with the light the producers cast him in.
      He said: “I’m glad you asked me about that [Jose Mourinho calling me lazy].
      It’s always been me against myself in everythingDele Alli
      “So that lazy comment people all love to bring that up, that interview obviously that was on Amazon.
      “He called me lazy – that was the day after recovery day.
      “A week later, he apologised to me for calling me lazy because he’d seen me actually train and play.
      “But that wasn’t in the documentary, and no one spoke up about that because it was only me and him.
      “In the team meeting, he called me lazy but then one on one, I think it was on the pitch he apologised for it.
      Dele Alli wasn’t happy with how he was portrayed in the 2020 All or Nothing showCredit: AMAZON
      “And I didn’t think anything of it at the time because I know myself – I’m not lazy.”
      Alli was one of the first Everton senior players to return to pre-season training last week.
      But manager Sean Dyche recently refused to be drawn on the midfielder’s future after his arrival at Goodison Park.
      He said of Alli: “He is not here. He has an injury which will keep him out for some time.
      “Some of the stuff reported – they know what they should and shouldn’t be doing.
      “As a manager, you cannot control everything in their lives.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Should we be following them all day? You can only guide them.
      “He has an injury which will take a while to sort out – it will be a number of weeks.”
      If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. More

    • 275 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      I’m a former England star but I ballooned to 17 STONE at my Premier League club – I was fat and frustrated

      by

      DAVID JAMES has revealed how his mental health suffered while on the bench at Liverpool.The former England goalkeeper, 52, was at Liverpool for seven seasons between 1992 and 1999 – making 277 appearances.
      David James has opened up on his health issues while at LiverpoolCredit: Getty
      He explained how he hit 17-stone in weightCredit: Getty
      However, in the 1993/94 season James lost his place in the first team and soon found both his mental and physical health to be deteriorating.
      Speaking on the matter to William Hill podcast Up Front with Simon Jordan, James explained how the lack of a fitness regime saw him reach 17-stone.
      He said: “I reached 17-stone, we didn’t have a fitness regime, and I was fat.
      “The frustration was that I wasn’t playing to a level I felt I should be playing at. 
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      “I’m not going to say that I should have been the best goalkeeper in the world, but I can’t think of anything that another goalkeeper has done that I couldn’t do.
      “I was then out of the team for eight months in my second season – I was actually sent off at the end of the first season against Norwich, so I missed the first game of the next season and never made it back into the side under Graeme Souness.”
      James, eventually found his way back into the team before leaving Liverpool for Aston Villa. He later went on to play for West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth in the Premier League.
      In addition to his physical issues, the 53-cap Three Lion also explained how having a chat with a doctor helped him with his mental health, despite Liverpool not believing in sports psychology at the time.
      Most read in Football
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      James added: “I thought that I needed to change because I wasn’t in the first team, so I approached the club doctor and asked if he knew a sports psychologist.
      “He said that Liverpool didn’t believe in that, but I’ll have a look for you.
      “So, this doctor got someone to come over and we sat in my kitchen for two hours – and I wasn’t one for inviting people into my house for private space and all that – so then when I went into work the next day, I went to the doctor and said that he was amazing.
      “He said that he wasn’t a sports psychologist, I don’t know what he did, but that two-hour conversation made things change. 
      “The reason these people were having a go at me was that I wasn’t being the professional I could have been.
      “So when they were calling me ‘Calamity James’, saying I was addicted to Xbox, and that I couldn’t catch a cold, it was a case of ‘I know I can’, but why am I not doing that?”
      Since retiring in 2015, James has gone on to appear on Strictly Come Dancing and feature in Soccer Aid.
      James pictured lining up for England in 2008Credit: PA:Press Association
      James left Liverpool for Aston Villa in 1999Credit: Getty More

    • 200 Shares129 Views

      in Boxing

      Boxer Nick Blackwell shows off three-stone body transformation after nearly dying in ring and becoming ‘unrecognisable’

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      FORMER boxer Nick Blackwell has showed off his amazing body transformation.Blackwell, 32, nearly died in the ring after suffering a bleed on the brain following his middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr in March 2016.
      Nick Blackwell shared his inspirational body transformationCredit: https://twitter.com/nickblackwell02/status/1660642129402576897/photo/1
      Blackwell said he looked ‘unrecognisable’ as his old selfCredit: https://twitter.com/nickblackwell02/status/1660642129402576897/photo/1
      The 32-year-old is a former British middleweight championCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Blackwell suffered a bleed on his brain after a fight against Chris Eubank Jr.Credit: Reuters
      And after a huge struggle with his mental health, Blackwell has now revealed a stunning body transformation which has seen him lose three stone.
      Taking to his Twitter page, the former British middleweight champion shared two images of himself – one taken four years ago and one now.
      Blackwell, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, described himself as “unrecognisable” in the older picture.
      He said: “It’s taken 4 years to lose 3 stone because of my disabilities and my brain Injury, but I’ve done it with support of my partner, balanced meals, little exercise.
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      “I was unrecognisable as the old nick after my coma and it effect my mental health. FOLLOW ME show support #weightloss #tbi #braininjury.”
      The inspirational post left fans praising his journey.
      One said: “Bang Bang! Well done fella! Keep up the great work! This is the biggest fight of your life and you are killing it! Super proud of you Nick! Keep inspiring people by being yourself!”
      A second commented: “Pleased for you, Nick. That would not have been easy for you either – strength and dedication.”
      Most read in Boxing
      A third replied: “Your one hell of a man Nick, truly inspirational mate.
      “It must be so hard for you to deal with a brain injury everyday, but you make it look easy mate. I for one appreciate all your tweets, so thank you mate and keep on fighting 👏🏾💪🏾❤.”
      Another shared: “Great stuff mate your smashing it. In a world with so many crap role models your one of the top role models not only for kids but for adults. Fair play to you a true champion of life. 💪🏻.”
      “Congratulations bro keep it up, namaste,” typed a fifth.
      Blackwell’s injury left him in a coma for SEVEN days.
      However, just ten months after recovering from surgery for the incident, he tried to make his return to the ring with a sparring session.
      This went against doctors advice and came to bite him, with Blackwell being left “unable to walk” after going 12 rounds with a boxer called Hasan Karkardi.
      This led to part of his SKULL being removed to relieve pressure on his brain, leaving him in a coma for a month on this occasion.
      Following his second near-death experience, Blackwell told The Telegraph: “I died in the ambulance after the Eubank fight. They brought me back to life.
      “The second time, they cut a section out of my skull to relieve the swelling on my brain.
      “They placed it inside my stomach to keep it alive until it went back. Crazy.
      “I was told there was a 75 per cent chance of dying. If I survived, there was an 85 per cent chance of being paralysed down my left side.”
      Robert Smith, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, told SunSport: “I understand he was sparring, fell ill, was taken to hospital and then underwent a procedure.
      “I don’t know exactly what the procedure was, other than the fact they tried to relieve pressure on the brain and he’s now in a stable condition. That’s all I know.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I’m sickened by it. It’s a very tough sport and the doctors here did a wonderful job to save his life. The doctors at hospital saved his life and kept him going.
      “He made remarkable recovery and for somebody to go and do what he’s done, for what I thought was a very sensible young man, is just beyond belief.” More

    • 213 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Fuming boxing legend Frank Bruno claims ministers ‘don’t give a monkey’s’ about people with mental health problems

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      BOXING great Frank Bruno claims ministers “don’t give a monkey’s” about people with mental health problems.The ex-world heavyweight champ says those with illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are being betrayed.
      Boxing legend Frank Bruno says mental health sufferers have been let down by politiciansCredit: PA
      Frank, 61, said: “Every time an election comes up ministers say, ‘We will make changes, we will spend some money, we will make things better’.
      “It’s a lie. They don’t stick to it. A lot of them just don’t give a monkey’s.
      “There’s tens of thousands of people across the country being let down and betrayed.
      “I’ve been invited into the House of Commons and I’ve heard a lot of very important people promise the world.
      READ MORE ON MENTAL HEALTH
      “Then, when you try to phone up to get something, they don’t want to know.”
      Frank won the WBC world title by beating Oliver McCall at Wembley in 1995 and twice fought ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson
      He has since struggled with bipolar disorder but said he now feels “better than he has in years”.
      Describing the current failures in the system he said: “Too often doctors are just sending patients home with tablets or locking people up in hospitals and forcing them to exist like zombies.
      Most read in Boxing
      “I’d like to see the politicians go inside those hospitals to see what really goes on. But they don’t want to do it. It’s shameful.” More