Dele Alli‘s biological mother has denied knowing the Everton midfielder was molested aged six and claims to have not stopped crying since watching his heartbreaking interview.
The 27-year-old sat down for a powerful tell-all with Gary Neville on The Overlap last week and opened up on several traumatic experiences of his childhood.
‘At six, I was molested by my mum’s friend,’ Alli said. ‘My mum was an alcoholic, and that happened at six.’
The ex-Tottenham star has received backing from all corners of the football community with fellow Premier League players penning messages of support in recent days.
Alli’s mum, Denise, has now responded to the revelations, insisting she had no knowledge of the abuse.
Gary Neville sat down with Alli and conducted an emotional interview in which the Everton striker spoke openly about his difficulties in recent years
‘I have not been able to stop crying since I heard my son describe the abuse he suffered as a child,’ she told The Sun. ‘I had no idea he’d been molested.
‘I’m so sorry. It breaks my heart to think that someone I allowed into my house might have betrayed my trust in the worst possible way.
‘I cannot put into words how upset I am I no longer have contact with my son – and only hope I’ll have the chance to see him again.’
Alli opened up on his family life for the very first time during the interview, detailing the difficult circumstances that surrounding his upbringing.
He recalled enduring a short stay in Africa that was meant to teach him discipline, before starting to smoke and deal drugs all before he had even turned ten.
The Everton star finally got some reprieve to his tempestuous early years when he was adopted by a family he described as amazing.
‘I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’d done for me,’ he told Neville. ‘If God created people, it was them.’
The former Spurs man has been estranged from his birth mother for several years after he felt she had sought to drive a wedge between him and his adopted parents.
‘After that I just felt so betrayed and let down,’ he added. ‘And hurt that I just couldn’t keep the relationship with my mum.’
His adopted brother Harry Hickford was one of the voices who praised him for the brave sit down, sharing a photo of the pair on his Instagram account from when they were at school together.
Hickford said: ‘I can’t put into words how proud I am of you @dele. It took so much strength and courage for you to open up about your recent struggles.
‘You will never understand how many people you have helped by doing so. You have endured so many ups and downs but have grown into an incredible person who I am so proud to call my brother.’
Since the tell-all interview, numerous football stars have rallied around the player and sent him their support.
He was also treated to plenty of affection from Toffees fans as he undergoes pre-season training with Sean Dyche and Co.
He could be seen signing shirts and posing for photos with fans, one of whom carried a sign displaying the message: ‘We are all with you, Dele’.
