Jacob Mellis had the world at his feet as a Chelsea youngster, coming on as a substitute in Champions League wins over MSK Zilina in 2011.
Back then he was earning £8,000-a-week, now he's homeless, sofa surfing as he comes to terms with a career that might've been, but was instead ruined by alcohol as he now seeks help. Mellis was highly-rated as a youngster, so much so that Chelsea paid £1m to sign him from Sheffield United.
He became part of the Chelsea teams that began reaching FA Youth Cup finals with regularity. First team recognition followed but in the background was a battle with the bottle, which would plague him throughout his nomadic career. He had loan spells away from Chelsea before heading permanently to Barnsley.
