Former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has bravely talked about his battle with a serious Tramadol addiction that nearly ended his life and career.
In 2001, Kirkland, at just 20 years old, made headlines as the most expensive goalkeeper in Britain when he moved from Coventry City to Liverpool for a whopping £6 million.
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Initially playing second fiddle to Anfield’s first-choice Jerzy Dudek but Kirkland took advantage of Dudek’s declining performances in the 2002–03 season.
However, his promising career at Liverpool and with England on the international scene was cut short by a chronic back problem.
Kirkland describes the problem as one of several “freak injuries” he suffered, including a lacerated kidney, a fractured wrist and broken fingers.
It was precisely this back issue that sent him on a journey to addiction to Tramadol.
But his move to Sheffield United in 2012 was the trigger for a change in how many pills he took, reports Liverpool News.
Just before the season began, Kirkland took matters into his own hands by using Tramadol, which he had previously been prescribed, as self-medication for a recurrent back ailment.
According to Kirkland, his addiction got “worse and worse” until he lost interest in football.
But he decided to sign with Bury, who had recently been promoted to League One. His addiction became unmanageable while he was in Portugal for a training camp.
His life was saved when he called his wife at the last minute and she convinced him to get treatment.
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