Former England star reveals dependancy that ‘destroyed’ relationship with youngsters
Jonjo Shelvey has lifted the lid on an addition that ruined his relationship with his three children, with the 33-year-old now plying his trade in the United Arab Emirates
Ex-Liverpool star Jonjo Shelvey has bravely opened up about his addition to sleeping pills – which he said ruined his relationship with his three kids.
The former England international, 33, revealed his life spiralled during his 18-month stint in Turkey which he said “was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Shelvey, who also starred for Newcastle in the Premier League, signed for Caykur Rizespor in September 2023 and lived on his own in Rize, a small coastal city in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region.
Speaking on the Undr The Cosh podcast, he revealed: “I ended up becoming addicted to sleeping tablets because I’d just got home from training and to pass time. I’d think, ‘what am I going to do now?’
“I was in a city that was a Muslim-orientated city. There were like three restaurants. To pass time I’d just end up taking three or four sleeping tablets and I’d pass out until the next morning for training.”
Asked why he decided to take the tablets, Shelvey said: “Just to pass the time.” Former Sunderland and Blackburn forward Chris Brown, who was part of the three-man presenting team, further probed: “And it’d become an addiction. Just an escape?”
Shelvey replied: “Yeah, and then I moved to Istanbul. Istanbul was a bit more vibrant city. You could go out and… But I was there by myself again. So I’m not one to go out by myself. I hate being alone.
“I thought to myself, if I could go one way or the other, I could go and drink myself to pass time. Drink’s no good for a footballer. It’s not a good tool. But I thought instead of drinking I’d carry on with the sleeping tablets. So that would be a way of passing my time.
“Do you know what I mean? So I’m not putting on fat drinking pints in a pub. So I’d go back to my apartment to train, sleeping tablets.”
Shelvey credited his wife, former S Club Juniors star Daisy Evans, with snapping him out of the habit. He added: “I’d get home at one, half one.
“Three o’clock I’d have a bit of food, and that’d be my last meal. And then I’d take three or four sleeping tablets and then wake up about 12 o’clock at night, pop three or four more.
“And then wake up for training the next day. To be honest, it destroyed my relationship with my kids. I was never present. This is the first time I have spoken about it and I was lucky that my missus is such a good woman that she kicked it out of me.”
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