Former Liverpool player Danny Murphy has opened up about his cocaine addiction that caused “a year in a world of pain” after retiring from football.
Murphy played 249 times for Liverpool, winning three major trophies and scoring several memorable goals for his childhood club, before moving to Charlton, Tottenham, Fulham and Blackburn.
He is now seen regularly on television in his role as a pundit for the BBC, but his life since retiring from football hasn’t always been easy.
Speaking on the Ben Heath Podcast, Murphy revealed he “had a spell on cocaine.”
The 47-year-old said: “When you don’t have football, problems become huge. 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.”
When asked if he was addicted to cocaine, Murphy responded: “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. Eventually, it builds up and grabs hold of you.”
Thankfully, the ex-Liverpool midfielder managed to beat the addiction with help.
“Therapy was good,” Murphy added.
“You’ve got to be in. You’ve got to be prepared to go deep and not everyone is because you’ve got to be in for an emotional rollercoaster in therapy.”
Many footballers suffer problems after finishing their playing career, as they look for the buzz they got from top-level football.
Murphy’s story isn’t an unfamiliar one, but he can now say the therapy and experience has made him better as a person.
He explained: “I probably had a year of being in a world of pain.
“The journey is never smooth but I definitely think that year to 18 months from 2017, going through that has made me a much better dad.
“I’m a better son, brother and I think I’ll be a better partner. I’m more considerate to those who have been struggling in life and I’ve got a desire to be better.”
You can listen to the full conversation on the Ben Heath Podcast YouTube channel here.
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