The Stoke City midfielder Matthew Etherington says he is winning his battle with a gambling addiction after attending Gamblers Anonymous for the past few months. As revealed by the Guardian on Monday, he has run up a six-figure sum in gambling losses.
"I've never really spoken about it, but I go twice a week to Gamblers Anonymous in Birmingham," he told the Daily Mail. "I'll do that for the rest of my life. You are just meeting like-minded people and you talk about things that can keep you off gambling. It has been a big help.
"I had to do something about it — and I've done that. Now I'd like to get on with my life. I would be the first to admit I had problems with gambling and I never hide that fact. My problems had been well documented and I would like to think they are long behind me now. I've got over that and come out the other side."
Stoke are negotiating to extend Etherington's contract. Included in the discussions is a proposal for some of his salary to be earmarked to pay off his debts.
As reported on Monday, an associate of Etherington's insists that his financial difficulties are "historical" and that he "has been clean of gambling for some time".
