Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams has revealed he played drunk for Wales and was once named man of the match while under the influence, describing a culture of heavy drinking in football during his playing days. In a candid interview, Adams admitted that despite giving up alcohol in 1996, he struggled to give up junk food, calling it his 'last weakness'.
Adams, who played for Wales at youth level, said he would often drink to excess after matches and even during games. 'I was named man of the match while playing drunk and that confused me for a while,' he said. He recalled stealing beer from pumps while bar staff were distracted, justifying it as 'a laugh' at the time.
The 57-year-old said he finally quit alcohol on 16 August 1996 after a three-day bender, but immediately turned to fish and chips. 'I put down alcohol but I couldn't put down fish and chips. I went to bed with fish and chips for the whole weekend, detoxing,' he said.
Adams also spoke about his upbringing in Dagenham, where his mother's cooking was 'very basic' and his father never cooked. He admitted regretting that his parents did not teach him to cook, and praised his wife Poppy Teacher for being a fantastic cook.
Since leaving Arsenal, Adams has worked in several countries and said he ate locally in each, enjoying dishes like a traditional Azerbaijani stew where every part of the cow is boiled for 24 hours. He now takes his sons to lower-league matches where traditional pie and chips are still served.
