Former Premier League defender Daryl Janmaat has opened up about his cocaine addiction, describing the 'damage' it caused after his football career ended. The 36-year-old, who played for Newcastle United and Watford, as well as earning 34 caps for the Netherlands, admitted the struggles began after he retired in 2022 due to a knee injury.
'Suddenly, I lost the structure I'd had for years as a footballer. That was difficult,' Janmaat told Dutch newspaper AD. 'The cocaine addiction gradually crept in. You start lying to the people you love. That's terrible; I hurt a lot of people.'
Janmaat, now a technical manager at ADO Den Haag, said the addiction affected his marriage. 'I'm still officially married, but we're no longer together. The relationship wasn't going well, but the addiction obviously didn't help,' he said. 'A lot of damage has been done, although we're on good terms again.'
The former defender, who now runs a gym in Scheveningen, admitted he was in a 'really, really bad' place. 'Cocaine destroys a lot. My family and friends were there for me, but I let a lot of people down,' he said. 'Addiction is truly a battle, where you're at your wits' end. Literally. You're in a struggle; it really destroys a lot.'
Janmaat said he sought help in a clinic and has since turned his life around. 'In a clinic like that, you have therapy and counselling. After that, I went in a different direction. Yes, the right direction. Fortunately.'
