November 8, 2025. Crewe substitute Omar Bogle scored in the 93rd minute to seal a 3-1 victory over Shrewsbury.
That goal may not sound particularly important for a striker who has scored over 150 senior goals in his career, but for Bogle it may have been the most important of his career.
2025 took him to a dark place. His addiction to painkillers led him to consider suicide.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News, Bogle told his story, talking about the year since hell, his road to recovery and why it’s so important to share his struggle.
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It started with a broken back before the 2024 season.
Bogle’s club doctor at Crewe regularly prescribed painkillers to alleviate what Bogle described as the worst pain he had ever felt.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t sleep,” he says of his back pain. “Even when I was asleep, the pain would wake me up.The doctor gave me medication to help me sleep and relieve my tension.
“One of the medications I got was one I had taken before, so I knew what it felt like. I was on it for a couple of weeks and the pain started to subside.
“I went back to playing and training, but I still had severe pain and nerve pain and still couldn’t sleep. I started taking them again to help myself and it was a slippery slope from there.”
Bogle began sourcing drugs outside the club. They didn’t realize his problems were growing.
“I quickly became addicted, and I may not have realized how addicted I was. As time went on, I was taking crazy amounts. It just kept going up and up. Every few weeks, I was adding another drink.”
“I didn’t tell anyone and I knew everyone would advise me not to do it. I knew other players who had done the same thing, so I thought it was normal because it was the first time I had actively taken drugs to get through games, sleep and training.”
I became addicted so quickly that I may not have realized how much I was addicted to it. I didn’t tell anyone. I thought that was normal.
Omar Bogle
Omar Bogle says he can ‘dream again’ after battling painkiller addiction
“I was in the dark”
Mr Bogle’s mood and outlook were immediately affected, and he admitted he entered a vicious cycle.
“It changed me as a person,” he says. “My decision-making was disjointed. I was isolated from everyone. After training, I would go home, close all the curtains, sit in the dark, watch TV, and spend the whole day on my phone, not talking to anyone.”
“I was in a dark place, depressed and suicidal. I don’t think there was a day that went by that I didn’t think about suicide.
“That thought came to me at least once every day. Given the amount of drugs I was taking and where my addiction had taken me, I think subconsciously that’s what I was trying to do. I was hoping one day I wouldn’t wake up.”
I was in the dark and depressed. I don’t think there was a day when I didn’t think about suicide. I was hoping that one day I would never wake up. ”
Omar Bogle
Omar Bogle celebrates Crew score in January 2025
“The doctor said I’d be better off dead.”
Luckily for Bogle, someone noticed.
He describes Agent Jake Speight as like family to him, but it was Speight who spotted the red flags.
“My agent spoke to me when he noticed that I returned for pre-season in about 12 days and wasn’t in any good shape mentally or physically. When he looked at me, he couldn’t see anything behind my eyes.”
“I told him where I was and he said he needed help. He contacted the PFA and the way they helped and the speed of their response was incredible. They gave me the help I needed and progressed me into a rehabilitation facility.”
“Without that, I would have only gotten worse. I would have continued to take more drugs. My doses would have continued to increase. I had no intention of stopping.”
Bogle’s addiction was so severe that he first had to enter a detox center to get off drugs before entering rehab.
“When I went into rehab and got tested, the doctors said I was dead and probably had overdosed multiple times.”
Entering rehab was “scary,” he says, but the process helped Bogle turn his life around.
He returned to the pitch after completing treatment in August and scored a goal against Shrewsbury shortly after his return, as well as a brace against Burton in the EFL Trophy.
“It took me a while to get to where I needed to be physically, and when I was addicted, I didn’t realize how much of a strain it was putting on my body.
“I can see ahead again. I can set goals again. I can dream again.”
Mr Bogle praised the crew for their support during this difficult time.
“The club probably came under intense scrutiny from supporters who wondered where I was when pre-season started and matches were being played.
“My addiction was affecting my performance and temperament. I think it made it clear to them and gave them context why I wasn’t at my best.”
Maheta Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, told Sky Sports News that all players have a club representative they can talk to if they have any health concerns. Players can access support confidentially by accessing a QR code system.
But Bogle believes other athletes are experiencing similar issues with painkiller addiction, and believes that telling his story publicly has the power to help others in his position.
“It helps to know you’re not alone and others are going through something similar,” he says.
“I think other people in football and other sports have had similar experiences, and when you rehabilitate you realize how big of an issue it is.
“My message is, tell someone. When people are depressed, suicidal, or in a dark place, guilt and shame make it even worse. We internalize it.
“It helps to know that other people are going through it. You’re not alone. You can find solace in that. So talk to someone you trust.
“Share it with someone close to you.”
If you were affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please visit https://www.sky.com/help/articles/viewersupport.
