Addiction: Tony Adams

What causes addiction and how to face it, with Arsenal and England legend Tony Adams. Tony played for Arsenal for over 20 years, uniquely captaining a title-winning team in three different decades- the 80s, 90s and noughties. He also won 66 caps for England and played at four major tournaments. But despite all his successes on the pitch, Tony’s life away from football spiralled out of control due to his alcoholism, leading to a ‘lost decade’ and a spell in prison for drunk-driving. In 1996 Tony sought treatment for his addiction, and has been in recovery ever since. In 2000 Tony founded the Sporting Chance Clinic that provides treatment for sports men and women suffering from drink, drug or gambling addictions. In this episode, Tony explains the key factors that lead someone to developing an addiction. He explains what you can get addicted to and why avoiding thoughts and feelings is a recipe for disaster. We discuss how to spot the warning signs that suggest you should be careful, and what to do if you are concerned you, or someone close to you, may be in the grip of addiction. And we discuss what has replaced booze as the 'drug of choice' in the beautiful game.