Jack Whatmough touched by reaction of Portsmouth well-wishers after Sporting Chance confession
And he hopes going public with his past troubles will be the ‘eye-opener’ to enable a greater understanding among football fans.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSet in September 2019, when recovering from knee surgery, Whatmough admitted he had occupied a dark period which saw him drink up to eight cans of Carling a day and use horse racing betting apps.
In the present, the 24-year-old is a pivotal player in Kenny Jackett’s first-team and in July became a father for the first time.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd he has no regrets over coming forward to tell his story with such brutal honesty.
He told The News: ‘I’ve had some messages from people I wouldn’t expect to, people I hadn’t spoken to for a while.
‘I got a nice message from Paul Robinson, who was club captain here.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘I look at Tom Naylor now and they are so similar in their ways, that’s why Nayls is such a good club captain.
‘There have also been some lovely messages on social media. I stay a bit more quiet on there now, I just don’t really have time.
‘It was a tough situation to be in and I don’t think people really understand how it is until they are in it.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘If I could turn the clock back down I would have slapped myself and told me how stupid I was. It’s how it is and you get caught up in the moment.
‘Hopefully talking about my experiences is a bit of an eye-opener so others can see what people go through.
‘But everyone is entitled to their perception and what they want to think. The fans can have their opinion, you can’t take that away from them.’
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHaving recovered from a third serious injury to his left knee, the Gosport lad is playing as well as ever.
He added: From that moment when I first really spoke about it, everything has been positive.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘Moving forward, I became a dad and feel I have matured more as a person and a player. If I was in that situation now, that wouldn’t happen.
‘It has gone really well. Surgery was amazing, the rehab work I’ve done is really good and football is going really well and I’m enjoying it.
‘I’m looking forward – and I’m happy.’
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
The News has launched a new subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage, starting at less than £1 a week.
You can subscribe here to get the latest news and transfer updates from Fratton Park - and to support our local team of expert Pompey writers.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.