Former Everton star Billy Kenny has spoken out about his addiction to alcohol and cocaine which robbed him of 25 years of his life.
Kenny came through the Everton academy to make his debut against Coventry for his hometown club in October 1992. He won acclaim by being named man of the match in the Premier League's first ever Merseyside derby, aged just 19, and picked up the nickname “Goodison Gazza” for his playing style.
But his early career was cruelly hampered by injuries, with shin splints and hernia issues requiring operations. Those injuries, underlying depression and a heavy drinking culture around the club at the time saw Kenny begin to spiral out of control.
He has now given a searingly honest interview to the Liverpool Echo, in which he describes the torment that followed. “I never had a bevvy until I went into Everton’s first team,” he said. “It was sort of standard… I felt I had to just to be one of the boys because I was a young kid.”
Everton sent Kenny to The Priory for rehabilitation after picking up on his problems, but the intervention did not help. In the days before Premier League clubs had a proper psychological support system, Kenny slipped through the cracks.
After making just 17 Premier League appearances for Everton, he moved to Oldham, who were managed by Joe Royle, in 1994. But he could not beat his addiction and, after another brief stint at Barrow, he retired from professional football, aged just 21.
“I was drinking for 25 years and on cocaine for 25 years as well,” Kenny said. “I am talking absolutely non-stop. I am surprised I am alive. I was just getting up, boom boom boom, two day bender, get my head down and go on a three day bender, two days of sleep, have a Chinese then back on it.”
Kenny’s father, Billy Kenny Snr, was also a footballer, who played for Everton in the 1970s. Reflecting on his turmoil now, Kenny says that his biggest regret is the pain he caused his parents, with his dad unable to leave the house at times out of embarrassment.
“The worst bit for me was putting me ma and dad through it because I was off my face,” he said. “Right now, when I think about what I put my ma and dad through. I was selfish as f*** on the drink and the drugs. That’s my biggest regret, and it doesn’t go away.”
Kenny finally managed to get clean when his mother Bella passed away. Now sober, Kenny is telling his story – and allowing it to be used as a stage show at Liverpool ’s Royal Court Theatre – in the hope that it can make a difference and stop young footballers from making the mistakes he did.
“It must have been my mother giving me the strength because I couldn’t do it alone. I couldn’t tell you, sitting here, how I have done it,” he said. “I have my bad days as well, where I have got to work hard to keep sane and sober but life for me at the minute is great. I’m sober and it’s great.”
