Aaron Connolly, the Republic of Ireland and Sunderland forward, has revealed his struggles with alcohol addiction after spending a month in a treatment centre this summer.

Connolly, who memorably broke into the Brighton first-team with two goals against Tottenham Hotspur on his first Premier League start in 2019, has opened up on how his career and life spiralled downward.

In an emotional and candid interview, the 24-year-old told Sunderland’s media channels that he hoped his story would help others struggling with alcohol addiction.

Connolly described his Premier League breakthrough against Spurs as “one of the best days of my life but also one of the worst” as it led to his difficulties with alcohol and a loss of focus on football.

‘I was living footballer lifestyle without football’

After falling out of contention at Brighton, Connolly had loan spells at Luton Town, Middlesbrough and Venezia before joining Hull City. He then signed for Sunderland as a free agent last month.

“I started to believe the hype and I didn’t turn into a good person after that [Spurs game],” he said. “I was tough to be around. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I started to live the lifestyle of a footballer, without the football side of it. It hurts to look back and speak about it.

“I had problems off the pitch. I just lost track of myself, of why I was playing football. I was always chasing things that, before that Tottenham game, I was never chasing. I was never chasing money. I was never chasing people on social media talking about me. I didn’t start football for that reason.

“It was obvious I had a problem with alcohol for a good few years. I had my parents, who never drank before, they would always advise me to stay away from alcohol, because of addiction to alcohol in my family. I didn’t listen, clearly. It got me in a lot of trouble. It just became something that I relied on.

“It felt like my buzz used to come from football, winning games and scoring goals. It got to a point where the buzz was more from drinking alcohol than going out on a football pitch. I used to look forward to the games finishing so I could have time to go and have a drink.”

Connolly admitted that he “stopped doing the things that got me into that position” following the Spurs game, saying he “stopped working hard” on his football.

‘My life was a mess’

He decided this summer to address the problem by checking himself into a treatment centre for alcohol addiction.

“I decided at the end of July that it was too much,” he said. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live the way I was living because it was killing people around me, to be honest. My family, my friends. Mainly, it was killing me, really. I had one of my best seasons at Hull last year but, off the pitch, my life was a mess.

“I just feel like [speaking about] this will help people, if I am being completely honest. I had everything that any young boy would dream of and I just couldn’t get hold of my addiction. It is an addiction. It was the toughest thing I ever had to do, to go in there.”

Connolly is now hoping to impress at Sunderland and rediscover his best form.

“After the last few months, it’s great to just be back playing football,” he said. “I’ve had a tough few months, so to be around a good group of people, good gaffer and good coaching staff, just in general good people, I feel refreshed.

“I feel like that young kid that came to England again. I’ve got a purpose, I don’t have the weight of everything on my shoulders again. I feel like that 15-year-old that came to Brighton and was chasing a goal. My goal again now is to get this club back to the Premier League.”