Football chiefs are becoming increasingly concerned over the amount of players who’ve become addicted to drugs, alcohol and gambling, as well as suffering from mental health issues
Brentford captain Christian Norgaard has spoken out after it was revealed that 530 footballers have been treated for drug, alcohol and gambling addictions alongside mental health issues.
Norgaard, 31, has revealed that he previously feared that he was becoming addicted to sleeping tablets. New figures show that 80 professional players been to therapy for problems with illicit substances such as cocaine, nitrous oxide, sleeping pills and alcohol.
“It’s a topic that has been going under the radar,” Norgaard says. In 2023, ex-England international Dele Alli revealed that he checked himself into a rehab facility after becoming addicted to sleeping tablets.
Some players have reportedly become addicted to using zopiclone tablets from the black market in order to help them sleep as part of their recovery from high-intensity training and matches. The stars suffering have received treatment from the Sporting Chance clinic which works with the Professional Footballers’ Association.
Of the 530 players who were supported last season, 42 players received help for gambling addictions, the Sun report. However, the latest PFA figures from the 2023-24 season are said to be just the tip of the iceberg, with more stars seeking help in private.
Officials are also concerned over the popularity of nicotine pouches called snus. One in five professional footballers have reportedly admitted to using them. This past Friday, it emerged that two unnamed male footballers who play in the top four tiers in England tested positive for a prohibited substance after matches last term, according to UK Anti-Doping.
Speaking to the Sun, a dealer who has previously supplied sleeping tablets to players in the Premier League said: “The main reason some players rely on them is because of their sleeping patterns. Some expect players to train twice a day and want them to sleep in the afternoon to recover. It’s hard when your body is wired.
“Other times they rely on them is when they have a big midweek game which kicks off at 8pm. They might not get home until the early hours. I know a few players who have tried to wean themselves off them but it’s hard. They go cold turkey and spend days suffering from acute tiredness – but also being unable to sleep.”
Norgaard opened up on his fear of addiction when speaking to BBC Sport. “I really clearly remember when it [first] happened. It was before quite an important cup game in Denmark and the mind started going. I had a bad night’s sleep and I brought those thoughts to the game and I was like, ‘What if I don’t play well now because I’ve slept bad?’.
“That became my thinking pattern before the next game, ‘I need to sleep before the game otherwise I’ll be a disaster in the game’. So, that’s why you have to break those patterns up.”
The Danish midfielder worked with Brentford’s sleep coach, Anna West, and revealed that an interview with ex-Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon, who spent six months in rehab for a sleeping pill addiction and mental health issues, made him realise how close he was to becoming addicted himself.
“It was tough to watch but it was also touching and it was quite emotional for someone like me who struggled with it and could have maybe ended up being addicted to these sleeping tablets,” Norgaard added. “I remember sending a text to our sleeping coach Anna to say thank you for the things we’ve been working on because this is a clear picture of how bad it can go.
“It’s a topic that has maybe been going a bit under the radar. I think now it’s getting emphasised, not only in football but in general, how important it is.”
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