Kilmarnock Football Club
Kevin Kyle, a star striker at Kilmarnock Football Club has admitted to grappling with an out of control gambling addiction throughout most of his life.
Kyle, who began his professional career at Sunderland FC, has told The Scotsman how, from an early age, he has spent his wages on gambling. As a teenager, Kyle spent his money on fruit machines and from there, progressed to bookies betting and finally online casinos.
The football star told The Scotsman how he would wager money the night before a football match and his losses would plague him during the game. While no one really knew about Kyle’s addiction, he desperately sought help. However, even Sporting Chance, a charity designed to help sports stars with addictions couldn’t help Kyle. Discussing his addiction, the footballer suggested that his girlfriend, Lynne, helped him “more than anyone”.
Returning to Scotland is believed to have helped Kyle immensely. Deeply unhappy at Coventry, Kyle was often met with abuse in the street. When he parted company with the football club, Kilmarnock’s manager, Jim Jefferies, offered him a role at the club, with a 70% wage cut. However, Kyle was happy to take Jefferies up on his offer, noting that he has “I come to a place where I'm admired and appreciated, and it has made me respect myself more as a person.”
While Kyle is of course worried he could slip back into gambling, he has said he’s now “controlling” his addiction, proposing that if he did leave professional football, he’d begin coaching aspiring youngsters, noting that this would be all the “buzz” he’d need.
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