By EchoLive.ie John O’shea
A former professional footballer has told The Echo that gambling was âcomplete escapismâ during his professional career.
Now well on the road in his recovery journey, having gone 14 months without placing a bet, Shane OâConnor is happy and hopeful.
Shane played under the management of Roy Keane at Ipswich Town. He had also come through the underage ranks at Liverpool FC.
He had stints in Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, Cork City, Cobh Ramblers, Limerick FC, Waterford, and Longford Town, as well as with Portadown in Northern Ireland.
However, throughout much of his football career Shane was gripped by gambling addiction.
An estimated 130,000 adults are affected by problem gambling in Ireland, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
The study also found that people aged under 50 have higher rates of problem gambling, with those in their 30s mos affected.
Speaking to The Echo, the 35-year-old explained how his life spun out of control because of gambling.
âIt stemmed back to when I was playing professional football,â Shane said.
âI was using it as a coping mechanism to maybe not playing football and I was substituting that for the hurt of not playing.
âI definitely used it to block out a lot of the pain I went through throughout the years.
âEven when I was playing football back here in Ireland, any excuse I would have to go and bet, I would go and bet.
âBetting was a complete escapism for me. I could be going through the worst time in my life, but if I had money and I was able to bet, then I thought I had no problem in the world.
âThat is how dangerous it was for me, because I was able to separate myself from real life.â
For a significant period of time, gambling took its toll on Shaneâs physical and mental health, his finances, and his relationships with loved ones.
âI put my family through an awful time, to be honest,â Shane said. âMy parents tried to get me into treatment meetings and counselling, originally. But I didnât want to and Iâd sit outside meetings and wouldnât go to counselling sessions.â
âI burned a lot of bridges with my parents and I went through phases of not speaking to them. Even up to when I went into treatment, I hadnât spoken to them for about 18 months before that.
âThe whole thing during it was, I didnât care, because I was still able to [continue with] my addiction and it was one less person to worry about being on my case about gambling.â Of the strain his gambling addiction took on his partner, Holly, and their children, Shane said: âI pushed the boundaries with my partner. I took all of the savings from her credit union. I would take money constantly.
âWe have four kids at home. She has often said to me that I ruined the early years of our kids. And I did, because she was constantly worried about what I was doing with money.
âHolly was the only person to stay with me throughout the whole process and believe that there was somebody better inside.â
In Easter of 2024, Shane hit what he described as his rock bottom. He knew something had to change to turn his life around.
âFor that week, I still gambled. I wasnât allowed to see my kids. I had no contact with home. Basically, I lived on my own and stayed in my car for a few nights. But every time I had money throughout that week, I still gambled.
âI remember sitting at the Commodore Hotel in Cobh and I had a bottle of coke, a hot chicken role, and a packet of crisps.
âI was sitting on my phone, gambling, and it was about two oâclock in the day.
âI wasnât allowed home, I wasnât talking to Holly, I wasnât talking to my parents. But I was sitting there like a fella without a problem in the world.
âThe following Sunday, which was April 7, it was the last time I put a bet on.
âWhen I woke on April 8, I said, âI canât do this anymoreâ. I said, âEnough is enoughâ. I had not seen my kids in over a week, at this stage.
âI just made that decision that I couldnât do it anymore. I thought if I didnât change, there was a realistic chance I wasnât going to be able to see my kids again.
âThe thought of the rug of my kids and my partner being pulled from under me was my rock bottom.â
Shane is the owner of Fundamental Football, which is a high-performance coaching service for players of all abilities based in Cork.
âRecovery is after giving me a really good life,â Shane said. âI am able to get up every day and see my kids and see my partner, go to work, and come home.
âI have normal problems, but I am able to deal with them without putting the addition of gambling on top of that.â
The stability of day-to-day life is in stark contrast to the chaos gambling brought to Shaneâs life and football career.
âAt the time when I was in addiction, I was never able to appreciate anything. When I look back now, to be at Liverpool FC at a young age and playing for Ipswich under Roy Keane, who would have been my childhood hero.
âTo play for Ireland from U16s up to U21s, something I never fully appreciated growing up. I had some really good moments in the League Of Ireland.
âThere was a year when I was with Cobh Ramblers in 2016, which would be one of my fondest memories in football.â
At the conclusion of the 2024/2025 English Premier League season, 11 clubs had gambling companies as their shirt sponsor.
Shane has been in contact with the PFAI (Playersâ Football Association Of Ireland), in relation to potentially establishing a safe space for any players to reach out should they be in the grip of gambling addiction and seeking help.
As for any advice or words of encouragement he would offer to people in Cork, or anywhere, looking to get on the road to recovery from addiction, such as gambling, Shane said: âI get a lot of messages from people about asking, âHow do you know when your rock bottom is and how to you know enough is enough?â
âRock bottom looks different for everybody. Sometimes, people find it within themselves to say, âEnough is enoughâ.
âBut if you are in addiction at the moment, you have to find it, where enough is enough, and you have to want to change your life.
âThere was a saying said to me, that âYour worst day in recovery is better than your best day in addictionâ.
âIt is truly the most honest sentence you will ever hear. But you have to believe it. I believe that with every bit of my body.â
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, call Gamblers Anonymous Cork on 087 285 955.
Email info@gamblersanonymous.ie or visit https://www.gamblersanonymous.ie