A former Manchester United midfielder has admitted a life-changing seizure helped to curb his ongoing drug and alcohol addiction issues.
The Red Devils have endured plenty of change across the summer, with new minority owners INEOS sanctioning a semi-overhaul of the club's non-playing staff, first-team squad and footballing department.
But it is an ex-professional who spent eight years at Old Trafford who has recently spoken out on the issues that have since affected his personal life.
Ex Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson details his issues with sleeping pills and alcohol
Speaking to The Times recently, Gibson opened up on the terrible post-football issues that have since seen his world collapse.
“They were doing brain scans and epilepsy scans,” he explained. “I knew deep down what happened, but I was too embarrassed to tell them. Finally I said: ‘Listen, it’s not that.’ I had taken 12 sleeping tablets the night before and about six more before I sat down to watch the match.”
Gibson is said to have turned to sleeping pills after he suffered a serious knee injury in 2013 – the year after he left Manchester United for Everton.
He began using drugs to help him sleep after developing insomnia, but things quickly got out of hand. Alcohol also served as a crutch during difficult periods.
“If I took sleeping tablets, within half an hour I wouldn’t really know what I was doing,” he added. “I would be like a zombie. Mix that with alcohol and you have no idea what you were doing. There was a pattern; get a serious injury that I can’t deal with properly and then do something stupid.”
The now 36-year-old Irishman managed to turn his life around with the help of his wife and underwent therapy to battle against his mental issues. He retired from playing football in 2021 after admitting that the fear of injury had affected his love for the game and is now a stay-at-home dad.
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He made 252 appearances for clubs such as Manchester United, Everton and Sunderland. Gibson won one Premier League title back in 2010/11 and also has two League Cup winners medals to his name.
"Darron is the one player in our club who can score great goals from outside the box," praised legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2009. "He has such tremendous power in his shot.
