Sophia Michaels
A former Chelsea midfielder is now homeless.
Jacob Mellis, whom Chelsea signed in a £1 million deal from Sheffield United back in 2009 became homeless after struggling with alcohol addiction throughout his career.
The 32-year-old has now given his account of what went wrong with him.
Mellis regularly featured for the Chelsea Reserves, making FA Youth Cup finals with ease.
He only made one senior appearance for Chelsea, coming on as a substitute in the UEFA Champions League in 2010 against MSK Zilina.
During his time at Chelsea, Mellis struggled with alcohol addiction. It got to the point where former Chelsea defenders David Luiz and Ashely Cole attempted to set him on the right path.
Unfortunately, Mellis was sacked in 2012 by Chelsea for setting off a smoke grenade at the club’s Cobham training centre and a misdiagnosed knee injury in 2022 ended his career prematurely.
However, Mellis has now reflected on his present struggles in an interview with Daily Mail, saying:
“I spend each day just thinking about where to go, really. I have family, but I don’t really want to rely on them. I want to try to do stuff for myself. It’s been difficult. I try not to think about it too much. I just try and get on with it.
“They just want the best for me. They try to help me as much as they can. Obviously, they have got their own lives. They get me hotels, or I can stay at their house sometimes. From day to day, nothing is settled. You think it can never happen to you. I didn’t plan on retiring. It’s difficult.”
