Danny Murphy reveals cocaine addiction after retiring from football

The former midfielder made over 700 Premier League appearances

Danny Murphy revealed he had a cocaine addiction after retiring from football (Getty Images)

Former England and Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy revealed he became addicted to cocaine after his playing career ended in 2013.

As well as Liverpool, Murphy also played for Crewe, Charlton, Tottenham, Fulham and Blackburn during his career that spanned two decades.

Since retiring from football, he has worked as a pundit for a variety of news outlets including the BBC.

“When you don’t have football, problems become huge,” Murphy told the Ben Health Podcast.

"When you play football, the adrenaline and dopamine, all these things keep you forward-thinking and energetic.

"I had a spell on cocaine and smoking some weed. The drink, I could live without it. I wasn’t an alcoholic. I could sit in a house with alcohol and not drink it."

When asked if he was addicted to cocaine, the 47-year-old said: "For a while I was. I got to the point where I thought I couldn’t do things without it. Which was nonsense, of course I could.

"You manage it initially, you might do it once a week, twice a week, give yourself an extra third day. Eventually it builds up and grabs hold of you."

Murphy said he found therapy and support to treat his addiction.

The midfielder made more than 400 Premier League appearances, and after joining Liverpool from Crewe in 1997 was part of the team who won the Uefa Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble back in 2001.

“I’ve had some real depths of despair,” Murphy said. “There’s a lot more help out there now, but you can never get a failsafe system.”