Footballers taking too many sleeping tabs and painkillers

Former professional defender Ryan Cresswell has insisted top players becoming addicted to painkillers is now a ‘big issue’ in football.

The 34-year-old, who played for Rotherham, Southend and Northampton in a decade-long football League career, admitted going to rehab saw him ‘gripping on for dear life’.

And Cresswell warned in a brave and honest interview that the problem is affecting stars ‘as high as you can go’ at the very top level.

He said: ‘I think there is a big issue in football with sleeping tablets and I mean from the top, as high as you can go.

‘For me it started with one after every game, which was great and I think is an alright purpose to use them. But then it went from one after games, to one a day to two a day and then I knew I was addicted to them.

‘It was not me craving it, it was my body, I knew it wasn’t the right thing. It’s horrible.

‘There will be 22 or 23-year-old lads now in the Premier League, Championship, wherever taking too many painkillers.

‘It will not be for another three years that they realise they have a real problem. The sweats and the shakes at night will come and they just have to get through it.’

Cresswell, 34, opened up on his own struggles in a brave and honest interview, admitting his struggles saw him go to rehab twice, ‘gripping on for dear life’ and contemplating suicide

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Cresswell, who achieved a year sober this summer after his second spell at the Sporting Chance rehab clinic, now manages Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest club.

He went through tough times after taking painkillers to treat a chronic knee injury at Northampton, leading to rehab and a relapse. He is in a much better place now but still attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.