Notts County defender Matt Tootle has took to social media to reveal his struggles with gambling.
He spoke of his mental health struggles back in 2017 and on Wednesday he wrote about his problems with betting.
Tootle wrote on Twitter: “I think the best thing I have ever done is be open and honest about my mental health, as it’s drove (sic) me to feel prouder than ever about how I came through the darkest days and be able to help others, which is why I feel I need to be open and honest for the first time about another problem that has been part of my life since I was 16 years old.
“I’ve been a compulsive gambler for as long as I remember and it has brought to me some of my worst memories. Many times I have tried to quit and been unsuccessful and almost lost love (sic) ones closest to me who tried to help.
“It’s an illness and until you decide you actually want to help yourself you will never get over it.
“I’m now one month clean from betting. And I’m proud of it. On top of my mental health I understand I’m a complicated character but one thing I’m sure of is my strength deep within which makes me never give up in any walk of life.
“This problem is rife in football and something needs to be done about it and I’m hoping to also help with that now.”
? | We have been helping Toots through this and are liaising with the @EFL to identify if they can offer any further support. https://t.co/0fR4vWB1rh
— Notts County FC (@Official_NCFC) September 5, 2018
The League Two club released a statement: The full-back today tweeted about a long-term gambling addiction, for which he has been receiving counselling both within the club and externally.
Notts take the welfare of all players extremely seriously and will continue to provide Matt with as much support as possible.
The club are also liaising with the EFL to identify if they can offer any further support.
Back in March this year, former Millwall player Harry Smith (now playing for Macclesfield), revealed he had to take time away from football to deal with his depression and a gambling addiction. Since then he said it was the best decision he made.
Since revealing his problems, he has received a huge amount of support, you can also find out ways to get help if you are having a problem with gambling – check all of that out on the next page.
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