‘Prison didn’t touch the sides’: Tony Adams on addiction, losing the man who saved him and helping others
The former Arsenal and England captain believes he has finally ‘grown up’, with ‘no tentacles’ from his troubled past
Tony Adams has always been a contradiction. He led and captained an elite Arsenal dressing room for 14 years but struggled to care for himself. The epitome of bravery on the pitch and “a scared little boy” off it. A career full of drive and determination but also weak will. These days, the contradictions are softer. An East End boy living in the Cotswolds, a recovered alcoholic happily married to a member of the Teacher’s whisky dynasty. A snappy dresser with a messy haircut. The difference is that, unlike the old days, everything seems to fit.
“I’ve got no angst of the past any more,” says Adams. “I’ve cleaned that up – I’m 28 years without a drink or a drug. I’m comfortable in my own skin for the first time in my life. I’ve grown up. There are no tentacles from the past now.”
