JEFF WHITLEYhas bravely opened up about his battle with addiction and recovery from the depths of despair.

The 45-year-old starred for Manchester City and Sunderland and earned 20 caps for Northern Ireland between 1997-2005.

But behind the scenes, battles with alcohol and drugs led to problems off the pitch, including bankruptcy and a spell in rehab.

Now in a position to help others, Whitley, who is the PFA’S player welfare executive, wants to raise awareness of the dangers behind addiction.

He told the BBC: "Nearly every club had moved me on because of the off the pitch antics. Not being able to keep it together or say no to some of the times I went out.

"I didn’t know how to keep it under control or even understand what the problem was.

"Eventually the drink and the drugs really started to escalate.

"I had two choices. I either keep doing what I’m doing and maybe die, or I pick up the phone and ask for help."

After getting to the point of where he was "sick of feeling this way", Whitley knew he had to make a change.

He phoned the Professional Footballers' Association for help and, in a time frame that left him "amazed", he was assessed by Sporting Chance before going through treatment and rehab for 26 days.

He exclusively revealed to The Sun in 2019: "I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought, ‘I don’t know who that guy is.’ I’d completely lost myself.

"When you’re young and you’ve got a few quid in your pocket, it can be quite exciting and highly addictive.

"But you go from being super confident and chatty to wanting to be on your own in complete isolation."

Whitley has been sober since entering rehab, but still continues to attend AA meetings and therapy.

And after years of drug taking drove one of his brothers, Jack, to suicide in 2017, Whitley knows just how brutal substance abuse can be.

In 2019, he backed The Sun’s End of The Line campaign to help raise awareness of the devastating dangers of cocaine and its impact on mental health.

He explained: "You’re almost chasing that high from when you first took it, thinking that next line is going to be like the first one you took.

"The insane paranoia is mind-blowing. Call it curtan-twitching- any siren, any noise, you think they're after you. It's a proper frightening place to be. "

Whitley was shipped out on loan to Wrexham and Notts County during the final three years of his City contract, before joining Sunderland in 2003.

He explained that the Black Cats, and later Cardiff, then "moved him on" for his off-field antics.

His growing addictions ultimately led to his international career coming to a premature end after scoring two goals.

Northern Ireland's 1-0 win over England at Windsor Park in 2005 is one of the most famous nights in the country's history.

However, Whitley had to watch it from home after being sent away from the camp by manager Lawrie Sanchez for going out with team-mate Philip Mulryne.

Whitley was still playing at a high level for Cardiff, but the damage was done. He would never play for Northern Ireland again.

After being left jobless at the end his football career, he briefly worked in car sales before turning his attentions to using his experiences to help others.

Whitley added that he understands that some players may not want to pick up the phone or ask for help.

"I know how difficult it was for me to reach out. I was sick of being on this hamster wheel of living that way. You’re not living, you’re just existing.

"When you are abusing your body with alcohol and drugs, and stuff like that, then you are going to go one of two ways.

"Some of the people are not at that point. Just don’t hesitate to reach out, that’s what I would say."