‘I played for Newcastle, I would get by on £5 for a few weeks after gambling away my wages’

On By Vaseline

Karl Colley revealed that he struggled with depression off the field during his controversial playing career and was sometimes left with just £5 a week due to his gambling problems.

Karl Colley revealed he was struggling with depression(UnderTheCosh/Youtube)

A Newcastle United player says he was living on just £5 a week after gambling away his wages.

Karl Colley signed his first professional football contract as a 17-year-old with the club from his hometown Sheffield Wednesday. He made a dream move as a youngster to Newcastle during Sir Bobby Robson’s tenure, where he played in the reserves under Peter Beardsley.

But the defender struggled mentally with his move to a new city. That set in motion his decline as he fell down the English football pyramid until playing in Non-League for the likes of Halifax Town and Goole.

Now, Colley has shed light on the depression he endured as a player. He spoke candidly about the fact that he was cheerful towards teammates, but that he secretly struggled with the consequences of his gambling addiction for the rest of his weeks.

He told the Undr The Cosh podcast: “I just played to raise money, that’s all I’ve ever known, playing for money. I wasn’t in the right state of mind, I was still gambling and still suffering from depression.

“No one knew because I wasn’t open yet. People knew I was a gambler, but the depression and where my mind was going, no one knew.

‘You saw me on Saturday and I was smiling and laughing with a few quid in my pocket. No one saw me struggle the other six days a week as I broke down and faced my demons.”

Karl Colley’s gambling problems sometimes left him living on £5 a week(Grab mirror screen)

Colley was once sacked by Sheffield United before suffering the same fate at Goole after trying to punch a fan while playing for East Yorkshire in January 2014. When he was 30, Colley was verbally abused by a Coalville Town supporter, prompting him to storm the stands and throw a punch.