After going through rehab to deal with addiction, Jeff Whitley tells BBC Sport NI about his journey and how is now in a position to help others.
"I had two choices. I either keep doing what I’m doing and maybe die, or I pick up the phone and ask for help."The 49-year-old played for a host of big clubs in the Premier League and Championship, such as Manchester City and Sunderland, as well as earning 20 international caps for Northern Ireland.
He admitted that following the wrong crowds, both in and out of football, was having an impact on both his life and career. However, Whitely had to watch it from home after being sent away from the camp by manager Laurie Sanchez for going out with team-mate Philip Mulryne. “I was able to find out what the problem was and what the solution was. I was an addict, but there was a different way of living.
After being left jobless at the end his football career, he briefly worked in car sales before turning his attentions to using his experiences to help others. "Sometimes players are telling me stuff, and I can sit there and go, ‘that’s all the stuff that I used to be saying’.Image caption, "When you are abusing your body with alcohol and drugs, and stuff like that, then you are going to go one of two ways.
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