Dele Alli was sexually abused at the age of six and began selling drugs when he was eight.
Dele Alli had a traumatic childhood
The 27-year-old footballer has opened up about his troubled childhood and admitted his life finally changed for the better when he was 12 and got adopted by an "amazing" family.
Speaking to Gary Neville on his YouTube series 'The Overlap', he said: "[My childhood is] something I haven't really spoken about that much, to be honest.
"I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you kind of a brief understanding.
"So, at six, I was molested by my mum's friend, who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic, and that happened at six. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back.
"At seven, I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs.
"An older person told me that they wouldn't stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I'd have the drugs, that was eight.
"Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man.
"Twelve, I was adopted – and from then, it was like – I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn't have asked for better people to do what they'd done for me.
"If God created people, it was them. They were amazing, and they've helped me a lot, and that was another thing, you know – when I started living with them, it was hard for me to really open up to them, because I felt within myself, it was easy to get rid of me again.
"I tried to be the best kid I could be for them. I stayed with them from 12, and then started playing first-team, professionally, at 16. It all sort of took off from there."
Dele - who returned to Everton in April following a period out on loan to Turkish side Besiktas - also revealed he spent six weeks in rehab earlier this year to seek help for an addiction to sleeping pills and excessive drinking.
He said: “I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to a modern rehab facility that deals with addiction and mental health and trauma. I felt it was time for me.
“You can’t be told to go there, you have to make the decision yourself.
“I was in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm. I was waking up every day, winning the fight going into training every day smiling – willing to show I was happy.
“Inside I was losing the battle and it was time to change. When I was told I needed surgery I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle began.
“So I went there for six weeks. Everton were amazing and supported I will be grateful to them for ever. For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn’t ask for anything more during a time I was making the biggest decision of my life – doing something I was scared to do. I’m happy I’ve done it."
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