Premier League footballer diagnosed with laughing gas addiction treated by paramedics

Emergency services raced to the aid of a Premier League footballer diagnosed with an addiction to laughing gas – amid desperate concerns for his welfare.

Mail Sport understands that a close friend of the top-flight star, who has represented his country at Under 21 level, raised the alarm after spotting him surrounded by canisters of illegal nitrous oxide at his city centre flat.

It is thought that the player, who we are choosing not to name, had fallen off the wagon after attending rehab to try and kick his habit.

Paramedics quickly arrived at the scene, carried out checks and delivered a stark warning to the footballer, who is said to have made repeated attempts to fight off an addiction that has put both his health and his career in danger. Police also attended but are not thought to have launched any criminal proceedings.

The player’s club are aware of the incident. They have been offering extensive support for some time and were involved in the decision to send him to a specialist rehabilitation centre earlier this season.

A Premier League footballer diagnosed with a laughing gas addiction was treated by paramedics last month 

In November, the law was changed to make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C Drug. The player’s club are aware of the incident

The call to emergency services was made last month. It is thought that the player’s worried family harboured concerns that he had suffered a relapse. Fears were confirmed when a friend spotted him inside the flat with a substantial number of bottles close at hand.

The player is aware of the scale of the problem and has made repeated attempts to quit. His club are continuing to offer help in the hope he will salvage his career.

Nitrous oxide, known as ‘hippy crack’, is contained in canisters, which can be super-sized. The canisters are then used to fill balloons which are inhaled to provide a quick ‘high’. Usage carries a series of risks including heart attack, strokes and brain damage. There have been fatalities among users.

In November, the law was changed to make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C Drug. Possession for inhalation is now deemed a criminal offence although a conviction may be unlikely unless it appears as though there is a desire to supply others.

New, super-sized canisters can deliver 80 times the usual dose, while canisters can be obtained online and relatively cheaply as long as the buyer confirms they are over 18 and it is to be used for food production.

There are concerns that its usage is rife among Premier League footballers with routine drug tests unlikely to detect its presence.

In 2013, Kyle Walker was seen inhaling it while fellow England star Raheem Sterling was given a dressing down by then-Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers for doing likewise.

Kyle Walker was seen inhaling laughing gas in 2013 while at Tottenham Hotspur

Raheem Sterling was told off for inhaling laughing gas by Brendan Rodgers when he was at Liverpool

Dele Alli was pictured surrounded by gas canisters and alcohol last year

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Matteo Guendouzi, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil, were filmed taking it at a 2018 pre-season event while a year later Jack Grealish, then of Aston Villa, was pictured inhaling from a balloon.

Last year, Everton’s Dele Alli was pictured surrounded by gas canisters and alcohol.