Former Super League star Andy Kirk has spoken out about the sex and porn addictions that used to control him.
Father-of-four Kirk, 38, says he was forced to live a double life to cover up his secret lusts.
The former Leeds, Salford, Wakefield and Widnes centre admits he struggled to stop sleeping around and watching hours of pornography every day.
Kirk said: “I was very promiscuous. I wanted to have my cake and eat it.”
So when a friend talked about his own belief in God, Kirk decided he was “so lost” that he had to see if religion could help
Kirk recalled: “God started to speak to my heart about sharing my story with other people too.
“But the very thought of sharing how I was addicted to porn and sex made me squirm with shame.”
Kirk, who works as a sports therapist, now also gives talks to schools and youth groups about the dangers of pornography.
He said: “I wish that someone had visited my school to teach me about the harm it does.”
Former Leeds team-mate Jamie Jones-Buchanan wrote the forward to Kirk’s new book Scandalous Freedom, praising the courage in speaking out to help others.
Jones-Buchanan said: “There is an openness which should inspire and challenge us all.”
