As we hurtle into the final couple of months of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, one star could be playing his final games if his addictions are uncovered.
The Sun report that an unnamed England international that plays in the top-flight is addicted to the sleeping tablet, Zopiclone, which he mixes with vodka and champagne to give him a high.
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However, team-mates have noticed how lethargic and drowsy he has appeared in training after downing the concoction at multiple illegal lockdown parties.
“I watched him swallow zopiclone while he was boozing,” a source, invited to one of the recent parties, told The Sun.
“He discarded the empty packet on the floor. Anyone could see what they were. I couldn’t believe it and turned to my friend, who is a team-mate.
“He told me this is why he has been struggling. He is addicted to the tablets. His team-mates and friends are really worried. It will totally affect his game.
“We were told to be in a certain area at the right time, then guided to a basement nearby. We had to place our phones in a fabric pouch which had a magnetic lock.
“We kept the bag but couldn’t access our phone until we wanted to leave, and one of the organisers opened the bag using a special magnet.
“The troubled player was off his face and dancing on a coffee table. He was completely out of it and didn’t know what he was doing or saying.
“He was knocking back the booze as well. He wasn’t worried about being caught out. He keeps the sleeping tablets in his wash bag along with his mouthwash, and club bosses are none the wiser.
“He thinks he’s being clever because he brags the pills don’t show up on his Premier League drug tests. The mix of zopiclone and booze gets him high. He feels good about himself for a while.
“But the next day he feels lethargic and can’t perform to the best of his ability. He takes the tablets every day. He is not in a good place.
Ahead of the European Championship too, the last thing that Gareth Southgate will want to be worrying about is who from his playing staff has taken to such measures in order to get him through.
From the statements of witnesses who’ve seen the player’s actions up close and personal, it sounds as if he’s on the precipice.
If he’s not given the help he requires quickly, it’s entirely possible his career could be in ruins before the start of next season.