Dean Sturridge: 'I lived the dream playing for Derby County - but my success hid a dark secret'

Dean Sturridge has opened up on the effects of a serious gambling addiction during his playing career.

The forward played in the Premier League for Derby, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He is also an ambassador for the gambling support charity Gordon Moody, which first introduced the ‘Gamblers Anonymous’ in this country back in the 1970s after success in the USA.

"When I couldn't play football because of injury, I'd be sat on my settee,” he remembered. “I'd have boredom, I'd have time – and I'd have the money. That's when the bets escalated and I was totally out of control.

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"I know the feeling of being in addiction, being lonely, being isolated, feeling guilt, feeling shame, feeling embarrassment. Everybody's story is unique, but I'm hoping I can inspire just one person. My first signing-on fee was a big figure. It was supposed to be going down to buy my first car, a Ford Fiesta Firefly. I couldn't pay for it because I'd lost my signing-on fee within hours of it going into my account.

"I'd be going from the bookie to the bank... writing cheques out and going into the branch, then withdrawing money. By the end of the day you see nil in your account, when at the start of the day it had thousands in it. When I'd be with my children and my wife, some of the time I'd be on my phone putting a bet on.