AceShowbiz - Dele Alli fell victim to sexual abuse at the age of six and began selling drugs when he was eight. The 27-year-old footballer has got candid about his troubled childhood and admitted his life finally changed for the better when he was 12 and got adopted by an "amazing" family.

"[My childhood is] something I haven't really spoken about that much, to be honest. I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you kind of a brief understanding," he said to Gary Neville on his YouTube series "The Overlap".

"So, at six, I was molested by my mum's friend, who was at the house a lot. My mum was an alcoholic, and that happened at six. I was sent to Africa to learn discipline, and then I was sent back. At seven, I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs."

"An older person told me that they wouldn't stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I'd have the drugs, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man."

"Twelve, I was adopted - and from then, it was like - I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn't have asked for better people to do what they'd done for me. If God created people, it was them. They were amazing, and they've helped me a lot, and that was another thing, you know - when I started living with them, it was hard for me to really open up to them, because I felt within myself, it was easy to get rid of me again."

"I tried to be the best kid I could be for them. I stayed with them from 12, and then started playing first-team, professionally, at 16. It all sort of took off from there."

Dele - who returned to Everton in April following a period out on loan to Turkish side Besiktas - also revealed he spent six weeks in rehab earlier this year to seek help for an addiction to sleeping pills and excessive drinking.

He said, "I was in a bad place mentally. I decided to go to a modern rehab facility that deals with addiction and mental health and trauma. I felt it was time for me. You can't be told to go there, you have to make the decision yourself."

"I was in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm. I was waking up every day, winning the fight going into training every day smiling - willing to show I was happy. Inside I was losing the battle and it was time to change. When I was told I needed surgery I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle began."

"So I went there for six weeks. Everton were amazing and supported I will be grateful to them forever. For them to be so honest and understanding I couldn't ask for anything more during a time I was making the biggest decision of my life - doing something I was scared to do. I'm happy I've done it."