Former England footballer Kieron Dyer has gone on This Morning to reveal he was ABUSED by a great uncle at the age of 11
Footballer Kieron Dyer has been famous for his antics both on and off the pitch, but the star revealed his devastating secret today on This Morning – for TWENTY years he has been suffering with the sexual abuse he endured as a child.
Speaking to Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, Kieron said: "It’s out there now that Barry Bennell and the sexual abuse case with footballers.
" When footballers came out… and I saw the positivity that came from them being brave. I knew it was the perfect time to share my secret.
The former footballer revealed the abuse he suffered at the age of 11 was actually at the hands of his own great uncle.
Kieron also explained how the abuse, and keeping the secret hidden for so long, has negatively impacted his life – from falling out with teammates, to his own kids.
He explained: "I put it in a black box, most abuse victims do. You think you’ve dealt with it.
"With some of the scrapes I’ve had in the past, I used to fall out with people over nothing, there were so many casualties in my life my mum, my sister, best friends, ex partners, teammates, managers and even my own kids.
"I just thought that was the character I was, the way I was born. But it was only when I got help that I realised that what happened to me, and biting my lip for twenty years informed the person I was."
When asked by the presenters why he hadn’t spoken out at the time of the abuse, Kieron admitted that a major reason was that he was scared of his father's reaction.
He explained: "I knew as soon as that secret came out, he [his father] would have killed him [his uncle]. That would have been another thing on my conscience. My father would have been spending a life in prison."
He added: "Also as a kid, you don’t think anyone will believe you."
Fans took to Twitter to express their sadness at the shocking revelation and also congratulate Kieron on his bravery...
Kieron concluded, saying: "The secret is going to help people and that’s the main reason for doing it."
We wish him the best of luck.