OMAR BOGLE has bravely opened up on his addiction to sleeping pills.
The Crewe star, 32, revealed that he would take 18 or 19 in a night when he reached his lowest point last season.
Bogle began taking sleeping tablets after suffering a nasty back injury during the summer of 2024.
Speaking to The Athletic, the forward admitted: “I had a six-month period when it was just crazy, my usage was ridiculous.
“I was completely blacked out, I’d wake up and I wouldn’t even remember the conversations that I’d had with people the night before.”
Bogle would sometimes take diazepam or lorazepam, and at other times would turn to stronger zopiclone tablets.
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On the harrowing effect of his drug use, Bogle added: “I already had my own demons and battles that I fight daily anyway, because of things that have happened in my life, things I go through. The drugs just amplified it.
“It made me not think, it made me not feel. I was in La La Land. They are your friend until they’re not your friend anymore.
“The come-downs were ridiculous. And obviously, because of my usage, because of how much I was taking, I was in a constant state of sedation all the time.”
Last summer, Bogle was admitted into rehab with help from his agent.
The experienced striker returned to action in November, and amazingly scored against Shrewsbury in his first appearance back.
Bogle then got two against Burton Albion in the EFL Trophy three days later, but a frustrating calf injury has limited him to just three appearances since.
The Crewe ace is not the only footballer to have bravely opened up on their battles with addiction in recent years.
In 2023, Dele Alli told of his struggles during a harrowing interview with Gary Neville.
While earlier this month, ex-England ace Jonjo Shelvey also opened up.
In an emotional appearance on Undr the Cosh, Shelvey detailed how being without his family in Turkey led to him spiralling.
The six-cap Three Lions star said: “I went to Turkey for 18 months and lived by myself and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
“I ended up becoming addicted to sleeping tablets because I’d just got home from training and to pass time. I’d think, ‘what am I going to do now?’
“I was in a city that was a Muslim-orientated city. There was like three restaurants.
“To pass time I’d just end up taking three or four sleeping tablets and I’d pass out until the next morning for training.”
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