On hitting rock bottom again Football was so easy for me but life is not. If I could end it now, I would
had £1,400 from winnings ten days ago but I lost it all in an hour on a roulette machine. The only thing that stopped me from spending every penny on that machine was I knew I had to save some to be able to buy wine.
“I drank three bottles to help me get over it.”
On Monday, Kenny travelled to Gatwick where he was due to get on a flight to a rehab clinic in Dublin. It was organised by his old Arsenal teammate and former Republic of Ireland star Niall Quinn. But when he got there, he refused to get on the plane.
“Niall sorted it all out for me, but I realised I couldn’t go. I appreciate everything he tried to do for me, but I turned it down as I knew I would let him down. I just want to be honest.”
The next day he was back in a pub in London. “I said to the barman, ‘Don’t use my name, call me Graham or something. I don’t want people to recognise me’. Fans buy drinks as they want to talk about my football days.”
Kenny staggers from one disaster to another. Two months ago, football fan Russell Brand drove him to a rehab clinic in Coventry where he arranged an 18-week stay for him – but Kenny only lasted days before checking out.
Last month, he was in casualty twice in six days and spent a night in hospital fearing he would lose his left leg.
Pain
Kenny, who also played for Crystal Palace, QPR, Newcastle United and Everton, said: “I’ve got a problem with my foot and I could lose it and my leg.
“I really don’t want to end up in a wheelchair. It is giving me a lot of pain and I know I’m not well. I used to drink even more, but it’s takingng a bigger effect on me physically now and my health is deteriorating.ng.
“I feel sick and shakyky every morning and it’s getting worse.
“If I don’t drink, I can’t n’t sleep. I lay awake cuddling myself.” yself.”
Kenny was last night given a heartfelt message of support from John Lukic – the Arsenal goalie who played alongside him in the 2-1 FA Cup Final win over Liverpool in 1987.
Lukic, 56, said: “He is a fantastic guy. He needs to know he has the love of so many people at a time when he really needs it. We are all there for him and we will do anything we can.”
The Sunday People has paid for a hotel room in Bromley, South East London, to keep Kenny off the streets over Christmas.
Kenny said: “Loads of people will tell me what I need to do. But I know the only person who can help me is me. Somehow I need to find the
strength to do this.”