Former Fulham and Tottenham star Danny Murphy has revealed he struggled with cocaine addiction after quitting football.
The 47-year-old midfielder, who also played for Liverpool and England during his career, is now a regular pundit on the BBC including Match of the Day.
Speaking to the Ben Heath Podcast, Murphy said he “initially dabbled” in drugs for “escapism from reality”.
He said: “How do I deal with problems when I don't play football? When you play football, the adrenaline and dopamine keep you forward thinking and energetic, irrelevant of the other issues. These issues become huge without football.
“I had a spell on cocaine and smoking some weed. The drink, I could live without it. I wasn't an alcoholic. I could sit in a house with alcohol and not drink it.
“For a while I was (addicted to cocaine), yeah. I got to the point where I thought I couldn't do things without it. Which was nonsense, of course I could.”
Murphy, who started out at Crewe Alexandra before playing for other clubs including Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers, was married to former Hollyoaks actress Joanna Taylor but they separated in 2017.
He told the podcast how he kicked the habit by taking part in therapy sessions and working in the media after his playing career finished.
He said: “I probably had a year of being in a world of pain.
“The journey is never smooth but I definitely think that year to 18 months from 2017, going through that has made me a much better dad.
“I'm a better son, brother and I think I'll be a better partner. I'm more considerate to those who have been struggling in life and I've got a desire to be better.”
