Former Premier League defender Daryl Janmaat has spoken candidly about the damage caused by his cocaine addiction, which began after his retirement from professional football. The 36-year-old, who played for Newcastle United and Watford in England, as well as earning 34 caps for the Netherlands, said the addiction 'gradually crept in' after he lost the structure of his playing career.
Janmaat, who retired in 2022 following a knee injury, revealed that the end of his football career left him feeling isolated. 'I was supposed to get help from everyone and everything, but I was left to fend for myself,' he told Dutch newspaper AD. 'Suddenly, I lost the structure I'd had for years as a footballer. That was difficult.'
The former right-back admitted that his addiction led to lying and hurting those close to him. 'You start lying to the people you love. That's terrible; I hurt a lot of people,' he said. Janmaat also disclosed that his marriage has suffered, stating, 'I'm still officially married, but we're no longer together. The relationship wasn't going well, and the addiction obviously didn't help.'
Janmaat described hitting a low point after taking on a role as technical manager at ADO Den Haag, where he felt out of place. 'When all that disappeared and I felt completely out of place as technical manager at ADO, things went wrong. Very much so,' he said. He added that there were times when he was 'really, really bad' and that the addiction was 'life-threatening' in some respects.
Now running his own gym, High Power Gym in Scheveningen, Janmaat said he has turned his life around with the help of therapy and counselling. 'Addiction is truly a battle, where you're at your wits' end. It really destroys a lot,' he said. 'Fortunately, I went in the right direction.'
