Hatton starts long road to recovery

Ricky Hatton
12 April 2012

Ricky Hatton has started on the long road to recovery as he seeks treatment for the severe depression that drove him to drink and drugs.

Hatton on Monday checked in to a rehabilitation facility following a News of the World expose on Sunday that alleged extensive drug use. His spokesman Max Clifford on Monday admitted Hatton had used drugs, but said that was merely the latest manifestation of a far bigger problem involving severe depression and drink.

"His father has already been talking to the specialists over the last few weeks," Clifford told Press Association Sport. "He and others have been increasingly concerned about his depression and his drinking. He met with the specialist for four, five, six hours and he was told that his depression is severe depression and that he has a drink problem."

He added: "The problem is depression and the drink has been a problem for some time. From everything they've said, the drugs are a far more recent thing and very much superficial alongside the drink and depression."

However, while Hatton was said to be "devastated" by the News of the World report when it was published on Sunday, Clifford believes it will ultimately be of benefit by forcing the 31-year-old former world champion to face up to his problems.

"They are very confident if he does what they tell him with the treatment, therapy and advice, he can sort himself out," Clifford said. "And he will do what they tell him.

"He's been relieved by what they've told him.

"They've said, 'This is your problem, this is what's wrong, and we can sort it out. You should have come to us a long time ago'.

"It's been a shaft of sunshine coming through. He's faced up to it now even though he hasn't for some time and it's been there for some time."

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