Prince William speaks with members during his visit to Mosaic Clubhouse on June 26, 2023 in London.Photo:Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Williamis supporting a British soccer star speaking about the trauma he faced for the first time.
On Thursday, the Prince of Wales praised Dele Alli in a rare personal message on his official Kensington Royal Twitter page. William, 41, retweeted a clip of the new interview the 27-year-old midfielder gave to sports showThe Overlap, where he revealed that he was sexually abused as a child and went to rehab this summer for a sleeping pill addiction.
“Brave and inspirational@dele_official,” William wrote. “Discussing mental health is not a sign of weakness. Let’s keep the conversation going. We’re all with you and we wish you the very best.”
The prince signed off with “W,” as he typically does for personal messages.
In a snippet of the sit-down the Prince of Wales shared, Alli told host Gary Neville, “I was wining the fight, smiling, showing that I was happy, but inside I was definitely losing the battle. Trauma is trauma, and your body registers it in the same way, no matter what it is. If you knew my life, you would understand that a little bit more. I want to help other people to know that they’re not alone in the feelings they’ve got. And it doesn’t make you weak to get help.”
Dele Alli of Besiktas JK in action during the Turkish Super Lig match between Fatih Karagumruk SK and Besiktas JK at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on January 31, 2023.BSR Agency/Getty
BSR Agency/Getty
Alli spent last summer playing in Turkey and is currently signed to Everton, and checked into a six-week rehab program in the U.S. earlier this summer for addiction, mental health and trauma treatment,ESPNsaid. He told Neville that today he is mentally in the “best place I’ve ever been.”
Prince William is president of the Football Association, the governing body of English soccer. He has previously used the position to campaign oncombating racismandfostering better mental healthvia the reach that soccer has in Britain and beyond.
Prince William highlighted the importance of mental health in conversation with English soccer stars.COPA90
In November, the Prince of Wales sat down with two England soccer internationals to talk about how they cope with mental challenges both on and off the pitch ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
source: people.com
