Former Sheffield United wonderkid left homeless at 32 after remarkable post-Chelsea spiral

Former Sheffield United wonderkid Jacob Mellis has opened up on his struggles with alcohol after it was revealed he has been left homeless at the age of just 32, after a remarkable spiral in recent years.

The Nottingham-born midfielder came through the academy ranks at Bramall Lane but didn’t make a senior appearance before being plucked by Chelsea in a £1m deal. At the height of his Stamford Bridge career he was earning over £400,000 a year, according to the Daily Mail, but has been left without a home, car or income after being forced to retire after a misdiagnosed knee injury was discovered last year at Southend United.

Speaking to the Mail, Mellis opened up on his recent struggles. “I spend each day just thinking about where to go, really,” he said.

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“I have family but I don’t really want to rely on them. I want to try to do stuff for myself. It’s been difficult. I try not to think about it too much. I just try and get on with it.

“They just want the best for me. They try to help me as much as they can. Obviously they’ve got their own lives. They get me hotels, or I can stay at their house sometimes. From day to day nothing is settled. You think it can never happen to you. I didn’t plan on retiring. It’s difficult.”

‘Drinking has caused me problems’

Mellis played once for Chelsea, off the bench as an 89th-minute substitute in the Champions League against Zilina, and also played for clubs including Southampton, Barnsley and Bolton in a career that he admits now was badly affected by drinking.

“Throughout my career it’s been a thing that’s caused me problems,” he admitted. “When you’re drinking you’re not in control of what you’re doing.

“It affects training; managers wouldn’t be happy. I remember I turned up one time to training drunk. I would’ve been 19. Steve Holland sent me in. There’s been a few occasions where it has affected me. David Luiz didn’t speak too much English, but when we’d be warming up he’d say: ‘Hey, have you been drinking?’ and tell me to stop.

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“Dermot Drummy [Chelsea’s former academy manager] gave me a mentor, Ashley Cole, to stop me from going out and to talk to me. So people did try, I can’t lie. I was cocky back then, arrogant. I felt like I should be playing. I feel like it is a good thing if it’s channelled in the right way. But I don’t think I channelled it in the right way.

“If I wasn’t picked or was feeling frustrated I would just go out, go drinking. You’re not messing Chelsea up, you’re messing yourself up.”

Mellis’ time at Chelsea came to an end in 2012 after he admitted setting off a smoke grenade at their training ground. “When I was still playing in the league, I didn’t regret anything. I thought: ‘I am where I am’,” Mellis added.

“Since I’ve stopped playing, you have more time to think. You have to regret that. The amount of people that come up to me and say: ‘Oh my God , what happened to you?’, that’s when it makes me think about it. These are people that are playing in the Premier League.

“I feel like I didn’t really know the talent that I had. Outwardly I would be cocky. But inside I would be a bit, not nervous, but didn’t really know what I could achieve. I didn’t believe it.”

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His current plight has not helped his battle with alcohol and Mellis admits he is still “drinking as much as I can, really, just to forget about the stress.” He is set to enter the Sporting Chance this week and the Professional Footballers’ Association are arranging some help, while Chelsea have helped their former player obtain his level one and two scouting badges.

“I think that’s something that I’ll enjoy. I like watching youngsters,” Mellis added. “I feel like I can see potential in people. I watch football all day, every day. I like to spot youth talents coming through. I feel like I can help them in other ways, off the pitch. Try to steer them away from the stuff I was doing.”