Aaron Connolly(Image: ©INPHO/Ben Brady)

Sunderland and Ireland striker Aaron Connolly opens up about his battle with alcohol addiction

The Galway native marked his first Premier League start with two goals against Tottenham in 2019

10 Oct 2024, 18:15 by Mark McCadden · Irish Mirror

Ireland striker Aaron Connolly has bravely opened up about his battle with alcohol addition.

The 24-year-old, who burst onto the scene in the Premier League with a brace against Tottenham in 2019, recently signed for Sunderland and scored his first goal for the club’s Under-21 side earlier this week.

The former Brighton and Hull City striker detailed how he fell into addiction and his struggles off the pitch.

“You go from the U23s and getting plaudits there and you get shot into the Premier League,” he said in a candid interview with Sunderland’s YouTube channel.

“My phone was blowing up, social media; it was one of the best days of my life (scoring twice against Spurs) but also one of the worst because the following five years came from that.

“I stopped working, stopped doing the things that I should have kept doing. I started to believe the hype and I didn't turn into a good person after that. I was tough to be around, no one could tell me anything. I didn't know how to deal with it, to be honest.

“I didn't feel like I had that authoritative figure to keep me grounded. I always say to my parents that I started to live the life of a footballer without the football side of it and that was the hardest bit to admit at the time - that I wasn't doing all the things that had got myself in that position. It hurts to look back at it and speak it.

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“I had problems off the pitch and it was highlighted a lot. I lost track of myself, lost track of why I was playing football, chasing things that I was never chasing before that Tottenham goal.

“It was obvious I had a problem with alcohol. I had my parents who never drank and would always advise me whenever I went out to stay away from it because of addiction to alcohol in my family.

“I didn't listen, it got me in a lot of trouble. It became something I relied on. My buzz used to come from football, scoring goals, winning games.

“It got to a point where the buzz was more from drinking alcohol. I used to look forward to the games finishing so I could have time to go and get drunk.

“I decided at the end of July that it was too much, I couldn't do it, live the way I was doing. It was killing the people around me, family and friends. Mainly it was killing me. I had one of my best seasons at Hull last season but off the pitch my life was a mess.”

Connolly scored eight goals last season for Hull, his best full-season tally to date.

He continued: “The manager there looked after me and always tried to help but it got to the point where my life was unmanageable.

“I made the decision that I needed to go to a treatment clinic, and I was there for a month. It wasn't about the football, it was about my life. Everything was falling apart.”

He added that he wanted to talk about his problems so that he could help and inspire others.

“It's important for me to talk about this… I hope it will help people,” he said. “I had everything a young boy could dream of but I couldn't get hold of my addiction. It was the toughest thing I've ever had to do. It was the best and worst month of my life. I learned so much.”

Connolly says he feels “refreshed” and is looking forward to the season ahead with Sunderland.

“It's been a whirlwind, I've signed for a massive club,” he said. “I've seen it from being around the city, I've seen people with Sunderland crests tattooed.

“It's something I've always wanted to do, to play for a club of this size, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I can't describe how good it has been to be back playing football.

“I've had a tough few months so to be around a good group of people and with a football at my feet, and I couldn't be happier.

“I feel refreshed, like the young kid who came to England. I have a purpose, I don't have a weight on my shoulders again. I want to get this club to the Premier League.”

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