On the surface, Omar Bogle's career is that of your typical EFL striker.
The Crewe Alexandra forward has played in every division from the Championship down to the National League North, scoring well over 150 goals across all competitions.
'You've overdosed a gazillion times and you should be dead'
The 32-year-old joined Crewe in summer 2024, scoring six goals in 32 appearances for a side who finished 13th in League Two last season.
Bogle was playing regularly, but throughout that time he was battling a problem that he hid from the wider world.
The Birmingham-born striker suffered a back injury during pre-season in 2024 and was routinely prescribed painkillers by Crewe's club doctor to manage the pain.
He returned to training and made his debut for the club on August 31, 2024, scoring his first goal in a 4-1 EFL Trophy defeat by Blackpool three days later.
But the pain from the injury didn't subside and Bogle began sourcing painkillers from outside the club, to the point that he was relying on "ridiculous" amounts - even leading him to battle depression and suicidal thoughts.
He told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's the shame and guilt that you get from knowing that you're doing something that you probably shouldn't be doing, or living your life in a way that you probably shouldn't be, coupled with things not going right in your life at the time as well.
"It was coupled with, I'm not playing well, I'm not performing well, I continue to keep getting injured, and my relationships are going wrong in my life. The shame and guilt you get from that is enough to drive you to use more."
It was only after a meeting with his agent, Jake Speight, that Bogle realised how far his life had spiralled.
"He just said, 'When I'm looking at you, I can't see anything behind your eyes'," Bogle added, revealing that without the intervention, he believes he may not have lived to see his 32nd birthday in July.
"I've known him for over 10 years, so he's family to me now, but like everyone else, he didn't know the extent what I was doing.
"I knew I was using ridiculous amounts, but when they [doctors] tell me that 'you've overdosed a gazillion times and you should be dead' and all these things, I didn't know it was to that extent."
Bogle checked into a rehabilitation unit on July 2, telling only chairman Charles Grant and manager Lee Bell at Crewe, and is now six months sober.
He had to wait until November 8 for his first-team return but he made up for lost time, scoring in a 3-1 win over Shrewsbury Town.
Bogle added two more goals against Burton Albion in another 3-1 victory the following Tuesday, and though he is sidelined again with a new injury, things are looking up.
"I genuinely feel really good," he said. "Things are looking up for me, in all aspects of life, to be honest, and I can see a future for myself again."
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