Former striker Dean Sturridge, who remains Derby County’s record goalscorer in the Premier League, has bravely opened up on his past as a gambling addict and wants to help the next generation fight against their own demons
Dean Sturridge lived with a secret for more than 40 years. The former Derby striker kept it from his teammates, family and friends because of the “shame, embarrassment and guilt” of being an addict.
But Sturridge, 51, is now taking the brave step of speaking out on his years of gambling to help others and to raise awareness as well as highlight the dangers of young footballers. The ex-Premier League star, now a successful agent, never gambled on football and has now gone five-and-a-half years without a bet.
Sturridge said: “It took me 40 years-plus to realise I was an addict. Gambling can be a form of escapism for a footballer.
“You feel a pressure, maybe you’re having a hard time with a manager, if you’re not playing, you can get bored but gambling can be a release and also feed your ego.
“I think I overachieved in my career. But away from the pitch, the burden and the stress because of how much money I’d lose, then chasing your losses and having conversations with people and not being present in that conversation because you’re thinking about your next bet.
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“ Football was never my poison. Horse racing, golf, maybe a couple of other sports, but that also shows I had a level of control because I knew football was taboo. Although I had an addiction, I had a form of self control.
“I’ve never totted up my losses. In the Gamblers’ Anonymous room, we rarely talk about financial losses, as these can vary dramatically, but will still be relevant to each person. I have never worked out how much money I have lost because, reflecting on my addiction, I have learnt that my biggest loss was that of time and connections with my family and friends. This is where I have most regrets.
“It fills me with shame, embarrassment and guilt. All those different emotions. Now we have to eradicate this stigma to where people are comfortable talking about it.”
Sturridge has become an ambassador for Gordon Moody which is a UK based charity dedicated to providing support and treatment for those severely affected by gambling harm. Gordon Moody was established in 1971, offers residential courses, ongoing support and Sturridge was talking to publicise International Awareness Day for Gambling Harm on March 26.
He is passionate about wanting counsellors to be able to go into clubs, educate all players, especially the young ones who start earning big sums of money at an early age and not know how to invest it.
Sturridge knows from his own experiences as a youngster being asked by his mum to go into a bookies to place bets and it spiralled from his own bets as a teenager into sneaking around dressing rooms to place bets just before big games.
“A lot of addicts will say this, I had a big win at a young age and I was thinking: ‘I’m ahead of the game here, I’ve got a secret system which nobody else knows,’” he recalls, laughing at himself. “I gambled when I was a young player, 17 or 18, I was going to buy my first car but then I gambled away my signing-on fee and had to borrow the money from someone else.
“Did it impact upon my career? Well, I did extras all the time when i was a youngster – practising my first touch, practising my finishing – and then when you get older you can’t wait to get away to put a bet on and the day’s finished by 1pm.
“When I was flying, playing regularly and scoring, I had no interest in betting because you are focused on your football and being successful. But if you’re out injured, you’ve got a tight hamstring or whatever, you are suddenly thinking about having a bet.
“When I was playing football, I was not aware of Gamblers’ Anonymous or Gordon Moody. I think I needed the support of someone else or the education and a message to say: ‘This is available to you.’ I wish I was aware of that in my early 20s.”
Sturridge’s turning point came when an advert – with the simple slogan When The Fun Stops, Stop – resonated with him as he watched TV on the sofa with his wife. He saw that in himself, the last few bets were just chasing losses and he found himself wanting to change.
He added: “You can’t see the wood for the trees sometimes. It was like a lightbulb moment for me. I’m thinking: ‘hang on a minute, my last five or ten bets, there’s been no dopamine rush. It’s no fun anymore.’
“My wife knew I had a problem and an issue and me breaking down was confirmation for her. Now I wear my recovery as a badge of honour. I’m proud of it because it’s made me a better person and I’m more at peace now with myself than when I was a footballer.
“I came through that era, I remember Arthur Cox at Derby, he gave me my debut and I’ll be forever in debt to him for that. But I was told back then that fans may be racist towards you, it’s not right but you have to have a thick skin to accept. Whether it’s racism or addiction, we were conditioned to keep it to yourself, dust yourself down and get on with it.
“This generation are much more open than previous generations but there’s still massive room for improvement. From representing players because I’m an agent now, I’m aware there’s still an element of players in general looking for escapism.
“That’s why I am so passionate about Gordon Moody because it allows people to reach out for help and support without feeling like they are being judged.”
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