Winkelman’s support for Dele after former Dons ace reveals childhood horrors

MK Dons chairman Pete Winkelman has come out in support of one of the club’s first stars, Dele Alli, following his tell-all interview with Sky Sports.

The 27-year-old has recently left a rehabilitation clinic in USA to overcome mental health issues and an addiction to sleeping tablets, and revealed his side of the story to Gary Neville on The Overlap.

Dele burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old in a televised game against Cambridge City in 2012. Going on to become a regular under Karl Robinson, he helped Dons secure promotion to the Championship in 2014/15, with it earning a big-money move to Tottenham Hotspur.

His career then sky-rocketed, becoming a regular for Spurs and England, making European Championship and World Cup appearances before his performances began to drop off, and moves to Everton and a loan spell at Besitkas proved tough too, suffering injury in Turkey which required surgery. It was following this news, Dele checked into rehab.

Dons chairman Winkelman said: “We have always been so proud of Dele, none more so than now, seeing him show tremendous bravery to speak publicly on the matter of his mental health.

“Dele will always have the love and support of everyone associated with MK Dons.”

Adopted at a 12 by the Hickford family in Milton Keynes - who’s son Harry was on Dons’ books alongside Dele - Dele said he was repressing a lot of his own childhood trauma from his blood-family, including being molested at six-years-old, being sent to live with his father in Africa to learn discipline, dealing drugs as an eight-year-old and being dangled off a city bridge by a man at 11.

He said: “The root of my problem was from when I was young, the traumas I had, the feelings I was holding on to. I tried to deal with it on my own.

“My adopted family and my brother would take me to rooms crying, just asking me to talk to them and I couldn't do it. I wanted to do it on my own. I couldn't open up. I lost myself for a few years. I was turning everyone away, not accepting help from anyone.

“I had the family who saved my life crying, asking me what was wrong, I just didn't want to do it. I couldn't have asked for a better family to be adopted by. If God created people, it was them. They're amazing, and they have helped me a lot.

“When I started living with them, it was hard for me to open up to them. I felt it was easy for them to get rid of me if I did. I wanted to be the best kid for them.”

After spending time in rehab, the midfielder feels like he has rediscovered his love for football again, and wants to help others who may also be suffering.

“I'm doing really well,” he said. “I've got the passion back for football again. Now is the right time to tell people what's been going on. It's something I've hidden for a long time and I've been scared to tell people about it.”