Jeff Whitley: I had class A drugs

JEFF WHITLEY has opened up about the cocaine addiction which ruined the latter years of his career.

The former midfielder was sent home from Northern Ireland duty in 2005 after breaking a curfew to go drinking with team-mate Phil Mulryne.

But Whitley, 32, revealed he began to use class A drugs during his stint at Cardiff between 2005 and 2008.

The ex-Manchester City trainee, now sober with the help of the Sporting Chance clinic, said: "I'd been on humongous benders.

"It wasn't just alcohol, it was cocaine and a mixture of other drugs.

"The cocaine just enabled me to drink more. From being so drunk, to then having some cocaine, and then being able to go another two or three days.

"I never took any other drug apart from alcohol and cigarettes when I was playing at the time.

"I thought 'I've never tried cocaine, I'd give it a blast' and when I did I thought 'wow, this is what I'm missing'.

"I was hooked that quick. If you're an addict you can get hooked on computer games, texting, eating... it doesn't matter what it is.

"When it comes to class A drugs then you're in trouble."