8 November 2025 Crewe substitute Omar Bogle scores in the 93rd minute to seal a 3-1 win over Shrewsbury.
For a striker who has scored more than 150 senior goals in his career, that may not sound particularly significant, but it may have been the most important of Bogle’s career.
2025 took him to some dark places. His addiction to painkillers led him to contemplate suicide.
Addressing exclusively Ski Sports News, Bogle tells his story, describing his year from hell, his road to recovery and why sharing his struggle is so important.
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It started with a broken back in the 2024 preseason.
Bogle’s club doctor at Crewe routinely prescribed painkillers to ease what he described as the worst pain he had ever felt.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t sleep,” he says of the back pain. “When I would sleep, the pain would wake me up. The doctor gave me medicine to help me sleep and relax.”
“One of the drugs I was given was something I had taken before, so I knew how I would feel. I took it for two or three weeks and then the pain started to subside.
“I got back to playing and training, but I was still getting shooting pains and nerves and I was still struggling to sleep. I started taking them again to help me. It was a slippery slope from there.”
Bogle began to obtain drugs outside the club. They were unaware of his growing problem.
“I quickly became addicted and probably didn’t realize how dependent I was. As time went on I was taking ridiculous amounts. It just kept growing and growing. Every few weeks I would add another on top.”
“I didn’t tell anyone, and I knew they would advise me not to. I also knew players who did the same thing, so this was the first time I was actively taking drugs off my back to get through games, sleep or train, I thought it was normal.”
I quickly became addicted and probably didn’t realize how dependent I was. I didn’t tell anyone. I thought it was normal.
Omar Bogle says he can ‘dream again’ after battling painkiller addiction
‘I was in the dark’
Bogle’s mood and appearance soon took a hit and he admits he was reeling.
“It changed me as a person,” he says. “My decisions were all over the place. I isolated myself from everyone. I would go home after training, close all the curtains, sit in the dark and watch TV, be on the phone all day and not talk to anyone.
“I was in the dark, depressed, suicidal. I don’t think a day went by that I didn’t have suicidal thoughts.”
“The thoughts came every day, at least once. The amount of drugs I was taking and where the addiction took me, I think subconsciously that’s what I was trying to do. I was hoping that one day I wouldn’t wake up.”
I was in the dark, depressed. I don’t think a day went by that I didn’t have suicidal thoughts. I hoped one day I wouldn’t wake up.”
Omar Bogle celebrates a goal for Crewe in January 2025
“The doctors said I should die”
Fortunately for Bogle, someone noticed.
He describes his agent Jake Speight as family – and it was Speight who spotted the warning signs.
“My agent spoke to me when he realized I was back in pre-season in about 12 days and I wasn’t mentally or physically fit. When he looked at me, he couldn’t see anything behind my eyes.
“I told him where I was and he said we need to get help. He contacted the PFA, who were amazing in how they helped and how quickly they responded. They continued to give me the help I needed and rehab.”
“Without it, I would just get worse. I kept taking more and more. My doses would keep going up. I wouldn’t stop.
Bogle’s addiction was so deep that he first had to enter a detox center so he could wean himself off drugs before entering rehab.
“When I went to rehab and had evaluations, the doctors said I should be dead and that I probably overdosed multiple times.
He describes going to rehab as “scary,” but the process helped Bogle turn his life around.
He came off treatment in August and returned to action, scoring in that game against Shrewsbury on his return and then twice in the EFL Trophy game against Burton.
“It still took time to physically get to where I needed to be. During my addiction, I didn’t realize how much it was affecting my body.
“I can look forward again. I can set goals again. I can dream again.”
Bogle praised Crewe for their support during this difficult time.
“The club was probably under scrutiny from fans who were wondering where I was when the pre-season started and when the games were played.
“My addiction affected my performances and my temperament. I think it gave them clarity and context as to why I wasn’t at my best.”
This was said by the Executive Director of the Association of Professional Footballers, Maheta Molango Ski Sports News that all players have a representative at their clubs that they can go to with any welfare concerns. Players have access to a QR code system that gives them confidential access to support.
But Bogle, who believes other athletes go through similar problems with addiction to painkillers, thinks telling his story publicly has the power to help others in the same position.
“It helps to know that someone else is going through it and you’re not the only one,” he says.
“I’m sure others in football and sports go through it too. In rehab you realize how big a problem it is.
“My message is: tell someone. When people are depressed, suicidal or in a dark place, guilt and shame make it worse. We internalize it.”
“It helps to know that someone else is going through it and you’re not the only one. You can find comfort in that. So talk to someone you trust.”
“Share it with someone close to you.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please visit: https://vvv.ski.com/help/articles/vieversupport