Dele - The Overlap Interview | Page 3 | Vital Football

Dele - The Overlap Interview

As some of you know, I work with Children in social care every day.
I made a comment on a thread some time ago regarding Deli's early life trauma and how it will eventually come to the surface.

There were probably signs of issues coming to the surface with the Whatsapp videos that were circulating prior to his decline in form.

Early years trauma suffered from emotional, sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect manifests itself later in life in many different ways.

Its a positive that he's recognised that he needs help and support. So many young people who have been through the care system don't have the mental capacity, or the resources available to them to get the help they need later in life.

So, if he is 'doing a Rashford' for children who are out of the care system I will applaud him.

And he deserves everyone's support in getting to a place of stability.

However.

There is a some puff in this.

I would substitute sleeping pills with something else for a start.
 
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stupops said:
As some of you know, I work with Children in social care every day.
I made a comment on a thread some time ago regarding Deli's early life trauma and how it will eventually come to the surface.

There were probably signs of issues coming to the surface with the Whatsapp videos that were circulating prior to his decline in form.

Early years trauma suffered from emotional, sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect manifests itself later in life in many different ways.

Its a positive that he's recognised that he needs help and support. So many young people who have been through the care system don't have the mental capacity, or the resources available to them to get the help they need later in life.

So, if he is 'doing a Rashford' for children who are out of the care system I will applaud him.

And he deserves everyone's support in getting to a place of stability.

However.

There is a some puff in this.

I would substitute sleeping pills with something else for a start.
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I remember you posting about Dele. I also remember the media LOVING Dele's 'lost boy, adopted, comes good' story and glossing over the traumatic details.

Like you, I wondered about the sleeping pills thing too and it made me more concerned about drugs testing at clubs. I was always under the impression that drugs testing was regular but random? Would these tests not flag up the levels of (whichever) drug is in a person's system?
 
Matic said:
I remember you posting about Dele. I also remember the media LOVING Dele's 'lost boy, adopted, comes good' story and glossing over the traumatic details.

Like you, I wondered about the sleeping pills thing too and it made me more concerned about drugs testing at clubs. I was always under the impression that drugs testing was regular but random? Would these tests not flag up the levels of (whichever) drug is in a person's system?
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It's a difficult watch for me. I know so many kids that are not ever going to get anywhere near the opportunities he has had as a looked after child who was lucky enough to find an adoptive family at 12 and had the talent and drive to make it as a professional footballer.

Its almost unheard of.

But he has the same vulnerabilities as all children who have suffered the levels of abuse that he has.

So he gets my support. All in. All day long.

On the substance misuse.
I know for a fact that he was hanging in the some circles where there was copious amounts of illegal substances being consumed often in public.
His fashion mates, mostly.
He was at an event at SoHo house that Mrs Stupops was at and she messaged to say 'Jose was spot on'.
Rightly or wrongly.

Anyway.
 
stupops said:
It's a difficult watch for me. I know so many kids that are not ever going to get anywhere near the opportunities he has had as a looked after child who was lucky enough to find an adoptive family at 12 and had the talent and drive to make it as a professional footballer.

Its almost unheard of.

But he has the same vulnerabilities as all children who have suffered the levels of abuse that he has.

So he gets my support. All in. All day long.

On the substance misuse.
I know for a fact that he was hanging in the some circles where there was copious amounts of illegal substances being consumed often in public.
His fashion mates, mostly.
He was at an event at SoHo house that Mrs Stupops was at and she messaged to say 'Jose was spot on'.
Rightly or wrongly.

Anyway.
Click to expand...


I'm genuinely shocked that abuse of those kinds of substances doesn't get flagged up within clubs. I've always been under the, probably naive impression, that drugs testing is taken seriously at top levels in all sport.
 
Matic said:
I'm genuinely shocked that abuse of those kinds of substances doesn't get flagged up within clubs. I've always been under the, probably naive impression, that drugs testing is taken seriously at top levels in all sport.
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They don't do hair strand tests in football as far as I am aware.
 
For me
I'm glad Dele has finally reached out for help,like, Spex I hoped he'd come good, even for Everton, but sadly not to be.
However he has reached out and to a degree gone public
Let's hope he can get back on track.
Get that look in his eye which was missing for so long.
But even if he doesn't, he was a great player for us in a time when we were arguably the best in the prem..
What ever he chooses to do I thank him for the Ooohs, and Aaahhs he gave us and, I wish him wel in his endeavours.
 
The way he brushed over his year in Nigeria with his dad. Plus taking his name off the back of his shirt. Very telling imo.

With that kind of upbringing the boy has some serious stones to have made it as far as he has. Suspect he may be done as a truly top level player if the consistent injuries are anything to go by, but I really hope I’m wrong.

Good to see the lazy tag being dismissed by Neville too - i had many an argument with people about it and Dele.
 
stupops said:
As some of you know, I work with Children in social care every day.
I made a comment on a thread some time ago regarding Deli's early life trauma and how it will eventually come to the surface.

There were probably signs of issues coming to the surface with the Whatsapp videos that were circulating prior to his decline in form.

Early years trauma suffered from emotional, sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect manifests itself later in life in many different ways.

Its a positive that he's recognised that he needs help and support. So many young people who have been through the care system don't have the mental capacity, or the resources available to them to get the help they need later in life.

So, if he is 'doing a Rashford' for children who are out of the care system I will applaud him.

And he deserves everyone's support in getting to a place of stability.

However.

There is a some puff in this.

I would substitute sleeping pills with something else for a start.
Click to expand...
Good post, stu.
I worked with troubled children, juvenile offenders, families, and investigating (often jointly with the police), abuse victims for most of my adult life. My last four years before retirement involved setting up and implementing a youth engagement program for Indigenous teenagers with TAFE in the remote Kimberley area. The one thing I learned early is that, if you study the history of children who show anti-social or self destructive behaviour, there is almost always a reason for it, a reason beyond their control, a detrimental breakdown in the socialisation process that everyone should be entitled to. In a fair world, of course!
 
muttley said:
It was a very poignant interview. Those of us that read the many earlier articles knew most of it. The new parts of the Dele story were so shocking though.

I still have negative vibes towards Jose and THFC with regards to their mis-management of Dele. The hope is that Big Ange is everything Jose isn't, especially on the psychology of these kids.
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I agree on Jose. There’s many a players mh that’s suffered at the hand of his “diamonds are formed under pressure” style of management.

On Ange - sounds like he’s a caring bloke but doesn’t have the 1 on 1 relationships with players that Poch did. Perhaps that’s where Ryan and the others come in though for vulnerable young players.
 
Was a good watch no question about it.

The sleeping pill thing is very common with athletes. I'm not a fan of them having experience with them myself. It's a slippery slope.

A lot of Shift workers use them most days, with alcohol.

I notice he only came out of rehab 3 weeks ago, hopefully this interview wasn't to soon.

I like the lad, I really hope he makes a comeback.
 
freundorfoe said:
The way he brushed over his year in Nigeria with his dad. Plus taking his name off the back of his shirt. Very telling imo.

With that kind of upbringing the boy has some serious stones to have made it as far as he has. Suspect he may be done as a truly top level player if the consistent injuries are anything to go by, but I really hope I’m wrong.

Good to see the lazy tag being dismissed by Neville too - i had many an argument with people about it and Dele.
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It's interesting, when you read the other earlier articles you can see how much of the story Dele was hiding. An example is this - https://lifebogger.com/dele-alli-childhood-story-plus-untold-biography-facts/

As for Dele's dad, was it really all about nationalising to the UK? He met his mum in a club, wedding bells, 2 kids etc in rapid time. He walked out a week after the wedding and went back to Nigeria to run his businesses. Left his British wife with 2 kids and living on the social services in a dodgy housing estate. The rest is history.

You always want to idolise your dad, but Dele realised eventually that his was just a total wrongun.
 
Real Deal said:
Was a good watch no question about it.

The sleeping pill thing is very common with athletes. I'm not a fan of them having experience with them myself. It's a slippery slope.

A lot of Shift workers use them most days, with alcohol.

I notice he only came out of rehab 3 weeks ago, hopefully this interview wasn't to soon.

I like the lad, I really hope he makes a comeback.
Click to expand...

We'd all love to see that comeback and it was good to hear some nice words about Dyche.

You do worry about those soft tissue injuries though. Dele was plagued with them.
 
muttley said:
We'd all love to see that comeback and it was good to hear some nice words about Dyche.

You do worry about those soft tissue injuries though. Dele was plagued with them.
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It's a long, long road back for him, with big question marks as to whether he is physically able to be successful again at PL level. He probably won't get there, but hopefully he won't be lost to football.
 
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