I Was Sent To Nigeria At 6 After Mum’s Girlfriend Sexually Abused Me – Everton Footballer Dele Alli

Dele Alli, Nigerian born England international footballer who plies his trade with Everton football club of England has revealed details about his chequered upbringing.

In an emotional interview with former England footballer Gary Neville, Alli revealed he was sexually abused and dehumanised at age 6 by his mother’s girlfriend.

He however did not name the woman.

According to him, the sexual molestation affected him gravely and pushed him into smoking at aged 7 even as he was sent to Nigeria to learn discipline.

The once darling Tottenham footballer further revealed in the interview with Neville’s that he was dealing drugs at 8 years old.

At age 11, he said he was hung off a bridge by a man from the local estate before he was adopted aged 12.

He did not reveal in the interview who adopted him but THE WHISTLER understands they were Alan and Sally Hickford.

According to him, he recently spent six weeks in rehab because of a sleeping pill addiction and mental health issues.

And on how all these have formed a siege that has affected his life after a dip in form as a footballer, he said, “When I came back from Turkey, I found out I needed an operation and I was in a bad place mentally.

“I decided to go to a modern day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with addiction, mental health and trauma.

“I felt like it was time for me. With things like that, you can’t be told to go there. You have to know and make the decision yourself or it’s not going to work. I was caught in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm,” he told The Overlap.

Alarmingly, he said, “I was waking up every day and I was winning the fight going into training, smiling, showing that I was happy but inside I was definitely losing the battle. It was time for me to change it.”

He said he exited rehab three weeks ago and “could never have imagined how much” he would get from it as “a lot happened when I was younger that I could never understand and figure out” and it had helped him on that front.

He further revealed that I was sexually “molested” at six before being “sent to Africa (Nigeria) to learn discipline.

“At seven, I started smoking, at eight I started dealing drugs,” he added.

“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.”

Alli, whose father, Kehinde Alli is of Nigerian origin born in Oyo State, and mother Denise Alli, who’s English, was one of football’s brightest young talents, and was part of the England squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and helped Tottenham reach the Champions League final in 2019.

Both England and Tottenham lost on those occasions.

He left Spurs to join Everton in February 2022 before going on a loan spell to Turkish side Besiktas last season.

Alli, whose birth given name is Bamidele Germaine Alli, earned the last of his 37 England caps in 2019.

In a swift Everon reaction, the club said in a statement obtained by THE WHISTLER that, “The club has been supporting Dele in both his return to fitness and overcoming the personal challenges highlighted in his interview with The Overlap,” reads the Everton statement.

“Everyone at Everton respects and applauds Dele’s bravery to speak about the difficulties he has faced, as well as seek the help required.

“The physical and mental welfare of all our players is of paramount importance.

“The club takes very seriously its responsibility in protecting the confidentiality of players and staff.

“Dele will not be conducting any further interviews in relation to his rehabilitation, and we ask that his privacy is respected while he continues his recuperation from injury and receives the full care and support needed for his physical and mental wellbeing.”