Son Heung-min’s best friend who spoke out about ‘sexual abuse, drug dealing and drug addiction’ will be resurrected…in Everton’s number 20 shirt

Can Dele Alli spark a resurgence at Everton?

The Toffees announced their squad for the 2023-24 season on their official social media accounts on Wednesday. One of the biggest surprises was the inclusion of Alli.

In July, Ali once again captured the world’s attention. For the first time ever, Ali opened up about his childhood, and before he did so, he was just a young talent who blossomed early and crashed quickly. Everyone had been criticizing him for being disingenuous and unprofessional, but after hearing his confession, it was a 180-degree turnaround.

He appeared on The Overlap, a YouTube channel hosted by Manchester United legend Gary Neville, and opened up about his story. “There were a couple of things that happened that I can simply explain to people. When I was 6 years old, I was molested by a friend of my mother’s who was coming home. My mother was an alcoholic. I started smoking cigarettes when I was seven, and I started dealing drugs when I was eight,” he said, opening up for the first time about his traumatic childhood.

Even when Ali was one of the world’s top prospects at Tottenham, he was relying on alcohol and drugs to get him through his playing career. “I was in a vicious cycle. I was relying on things that were harming me. I would wake up every day, go to the gym, smile, and show the outside world that I was living a happy life, but inside I was definitely losing the battle with myself.” 메이저놀이터

As time went on, Ali’s body was bound to break down. When he went on loan to Turkiye and returned to England with an injury, he needed medical attention. With the help of those around him, Ali decided to seek mental health treatment. “When I came back from Turkiye, I needed surgery and I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to rehab for my mental health, drug addiction and trauma,” he said, revealing that he had recently undergone treatment.

Everton were completely supportive of his decision and created an environment that allowed him to focus on his treatment as much as possible without talking about it. “Everton have been amazing. They were always 100% supportive. I will be forever grateful. Going into rehab is not something people want to do. I didn’t want to talk about it because it’s scary, but I’m fine now,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the club.

Since opening up about his story, Ali hasn’t had to deal with his personal life anymore. He visited his hometown team, Tottenham, to cheer them on, and was spotted meeting and spending time with Sergio Reguillon, who is known for his friendship with Son Heung-min.

Still, there were concerns that Alli would not be able to continue his career as normal, but his arrival at Everton has given fans something to look forward to. Alli is expected to play again once he has fully recovered from the injuries he sustained during his time with the Turquoise.