Former Liverpool and England footballer Danny Murphy reveals cocaine addiction after retirement

Danny Murphy has revealed his cocaine addiction after his career from football ended. Credit: PA Images

Former Liverpool FC and England star Danny Murphy has revealed he suffered a "world of pain" after developing a cocaine addiction following his retirement from football.

Murphy, 47, who also played for Crewe, Charlton, Tottenham, Fulham and Blackburn, has admitted that the Class A drug "grabs hold of you."

Since ending his playing career in 2013, he has worked as a pundit, but said: “When you don’t have football, problems become huge."

Speaking to the Ben Heath Podcast, Danny said: "When you play football, the adrenaline and dopamine, all these things keep you forward-thinking and energetic.

"I had a spell on cocaine and smoking some weed. The drink, I could live without it. I wasn’t an alcoholic. I could sit in a house with alcohol and not drink it."

Danny Murphy during his time with Liverpool FC, 2002. Credit: PA Images

When asked if he was addicted to cocaine, the 47-year-old said: "For a while I was. I got to the point where I thought I couldn’t do things without it.

"Which was nonsense, of course I could.

"You manage it initially, you might do it once a week, twice a week, give yourself an extra third day. When I got help, I put myself around people who'd been through it."

The father-of-three went onto say football helped him through the death of father when he played for Tottenham.

When he was playing, he said, "you have all the support you need" but after his addiction problems began he had to seek out help.

Danny Murphy (left) during the Premiership game between Liverpool FC and Manchester United, 2001. Credit: PA Images

Danny, who is originally from Chester, attended therapy sessions and support groups which he says helped in his recovery.

"You lose that shame and guilt when you're around people who've gone through it too because you start thinking 'am I the only one who is weak?'"

"I had about a year that was a world of pain - and some people look at me and think I should be grateful I've only had a year."

Murphy began his career with Crewe in 1993 before moving to Liverpool in 1997 where he was part of the team who won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001.

He made nine appearances for England.

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