Preston’s Jack Whatmough opens up on the struggles he’s had with alcohol and gambling while being sidelined through injury.
The 28 year old spoke in an exclusive interview for Sky Sports’ One on One, talking openly and honestly about dealing with injury as a young player and overcoming alcohol and gambling addiction.
Jack was able to find the help he needed thanks to the Professional Footballers’ Association and we’re also joined by ex-Man City player, Jeff Whitley, from the PFA’s Wellbeing team.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues covered in this podcast, support can be found at sky.com/viewersupport.
He said in his interview, hear in full in the episode above: “I think my hardest conversation was when my wife said she didn’t really recognise me.
“I suffered three big injuries quite close together and I was young and too naive to understand what I was going to go through, what my body was going to go through, and more importantly how my mind would react to having football taken away from me.
“I suffered quite a lot and football’s a big buzz for us athletes, so when that gets taken away you start looking for it in a different way.
“I learned that but probably when it was a little bit too late.”
He had 17 months on the sidelines after picking up his first injury, but it was the setbacks later on in his career which saw him rush his recovery and battle with his addictions while at home.
“I was in a brace not moving my knee bending it or straightening it. It was just locked for three months,” he added.
“I was doing stuff that was so out of character for me. Gambling and drinking more than I ever do and I’m not a big drinker, so that’s when I sort of realised that something was wrong and I sat down with my wife now and spoke with her.
“I think my hardest conversation was my wife said she didn’t really recognise me.”
While the support of family and friends was needed, Whatmough revealed he only started making real progress after turning to the Professional Footballers’ Association for regular meetings.
“There was a lot of avenues that you can go down but the one that I used was the PFA and I sat and spoke with them,” he said.
“It was more just an understanding of why I felt how I did and how I could change what I was doing.”
Whatmough had hour-long meetings for up to 10 weeks, where he first spoke about the problems he was dealing with as he battled to get back to full fitness.
Jeff Whitley, who is part of the PFA’s well-being department, also had a chat with the One on One podcast about the work they are now doing with players.
“One of the things that we really, really push on is around the education, around well-being, the ups and downs and the pitfalls of the industry,” he said.
“We’re not second-guessing what players are actually struggling with in this day and age. That really helps us – then we can look at the services that we’re actually providing and what support is needed.”
The ability to communicate openly with others has since armed him with the necessary coping mechanisms to deal with previously problematic situations in the future – and he has now set his sights on helping others who are experiencing similar problems.
He continued: “Talking is a big one and being open and using the people around you.
“I think there’s such a big stigma and ego about blokes having to be brave and not needing help. One of the best things I’ve ever done was was get help and now I’m happy to have conversations with anyone and open up.”
Help for problems with gambling
Gambling can harm many areas of your life. This can include problems with your:
– relationships
– physical and mental health
– finances
If you’re not sure if gambling is causing problems for you
Answer these questions:
Do you bet more than you can afford to lose?
Do you need to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling?
Have you tried to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)?
Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
Have you wondered whether you have a problem with gambling?
Has your gambling caused you any health problems, including feelings of stress or anxiety?
Have other people criticised your betting or told you that you had a problem with gambling (regardless of whether or not you thought it was true)?
Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
Have you ever felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?
Score 0 for each time you answer “never”
Score 1 for each time you answer “sometimes”
Score 2 for each time you answer “most of the time”
Score 3 for each time you answer “almost always”
If your total score is 8 or higher, you or those closest to you, are likely to be experiencing gambling-related harms.
If your total score is between 1 and 7, gambling might still be having a negative impact on your life.
There is support and treatment available if you need it.
How to get help for gambling-related harms
Treatment and support groups are available if gambling is causing problems for you.
If you need urgent help for your mental health
If gambling is seriously affecting your mental health and you need help urgently find out where to get urgent help for your mental health.
NHS gambling treatment clinics
You can go to a specialist gambling treatment clinic in England.
They have a team of psychiatrists and psychologists who can:
treat you if gambling is causing you problems
support you with your recovery
provide therapy for any complex health needs you have related to gambling
support your family or friends if they need help
You can self-refer to a gambling clinic near you. Or you can ask a GP for information on services in your area.
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