Jacob Mellis spent fourteen years on the professional circuit in England. In July 2007, aged just 16, this former midfielder was transferred from Sheffield United to Chelsea for €1.3 million. He was then under contract for five years with the London club and notably launched in the Champions League on November 23, 2010, during a match against the Slovenian club Zilina. The former English Under-19 international had potential but, plagued by an addiction to alcohol, he ended up building his career in English D2, D3 and D4.
A misdiagnosed knee injury forced him to end his life as a footballer. “I had not planned to retire”, he told the Daily Mail. This final episode of his life as a player plunged him further into loneliness and the daily life of homelessness.
“They tried to help me, I’m not going to lie, but I was arrogant at the time. If I was not called, I was frustrated and I went out drinking”
“Throughout my career, alcohol has caused me problems, he explains. When we drink, we no longer have complete control. It had an influence on my level in training. I remember once when I came to a session drunk. I must have been 19. Steve Holland (then assistant coach with the Blues) sent me back inside. It happened several times. David Luiz, who didn’t speak English very well yet, asked me if I had been drinking during a warm-up. He told me to stop by giving me a sign. I had been given a mentor, Ashley Cole, to talk to me and help me stop going out at parties. They tried to help me, I’m not going to lie. But I was arrogant back then. If I wasn’t summoned (a match), I was frustrated and went out drinking. »
Helped by Chelsea to become a recruiter
Today, penniless Mellis depends on the goodwill of her family and friends. “I spend my days looking for where I can sleep the same evening, he confides. I have family, they want the best for me but I don’t want to be a burden on them. They help me to sleep at the hotel or at their house sometimes. I want to do things by myself. It is complicated. I try not to think about it too much, to move on. » His personal situation has increased his alcohol problems: “I drink whenever I can, whenever I have the chance, just to forget the stress. But I’m trying to rectify my drinking. »
But there is a light, a solution to put his life back in place, according to him. Chelsea gave him a boost by helping him pass recruiting degrees. “I spent them with them and the English Federation at Stamford Bridge, he says. I think it’s something I like. I like to see young players evolve, I see the potential in them. I watch football every day and I think I can help new generations off the field, to avoid them having to go through what I went through. »
2023-06-06 09:12:14
#Jacob #Mellis #Champions #League #Chelsea #life #homelessness
