“I had no idea he’d been molested” - Dele Alli’s biological mum says she can’t stop crying after son’s tell-all interview

Dele Alli's biological mother, Denise Alli, has reacted to her son's emotional interview with Gary Neville. She claimed she had no idea that he had been molested as a child and that she hasn't been able to stop crying since she watched his discussion.

The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder bravely joined Gary Neville on the latter's YouTube channel The Overlap. He spoke about his struggles, addictions, as well as his harsh upbringing, including when he was molested as a six-year-old by his mother's friend.

Dele Alli emotionally recounted his past (via SPORTbible):

"At six I was molested by my mum's friend who was at the house a lot, my mum was an alcoholic. So that happened at six. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back. Seven I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs."

The 27-year-old's mother responded to these shocking revelations to The Sun:

"I have not been able to stop crying since I heard my son describe the abuse he suffered as a child. I had no idea he’d been molested."

She then profusely apologized to Dele:

"I’m so sorry. It breaks my heart to think that someone I allowed into my house might have betrayed my trust in the worst possible way. I cannot put into words how upset I am I no longer have contact with my son - and only hope I’ll have the chance to see him again."

Dele Alli was adopted at the age of 12, enabling him to pursue a career as a professional footballer. Fortunately, he was able to join Milton Keynes Dons' youth academy where he made it to the senior team.

In the aforementioned interview, the England international claimed to currently be in better mental shape, which is a good sign.

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Dele Alli reveals Everton helped him go to rehab for sleeping pill addiction

Dele Alli recently credited Everton for aiding him with going to rehab for six weeks when he suffered from sleeping pill addiction.

Dele Alli joined the Toffees last January after a seven-year spell with Tottenham Hotspur. He failed to make an impact at Goodison Park and was loaned to Besiktas during the 2022-23 season.

In his interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, he tearfully admitted he was struggling with sleeping pill addiction during this time:

"So I went there [rehab] for six weeks. Everton were amazing and supported I will be grateful to them for ever. For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn’t ask for anything more during a time I was making the biggest decision of my life - doing something I was scared to do. I’m happy I’ve done it."

He added:

"There is a stigma around it and it’s something people don’t want to do. Going into rehab is scary but I could never have imagined how much I would get from it. I was in a bad place. A lot happened to me when I was younger that I couldn’t understand and I was doing stupid things that I blame myself for. Going there and learning about it, it was never really under my control."

Dele Alli is currently injured but will be hoping to get his career back on track with Everton next season.