Jacob Mellis, a former Chelsea midfielder, has revealed he is homeless after a misdiagnosed knee injury ruined his career.
Mellis, 32, spent five years at Chelsea as a teenager, but was forced to retire last year due to a misdiagnosed knee injury.
As it stands now, Jacob Mellis has no home, no car nor even a job at the moment.
Reports have it that in the last 18 months, Mellis has moved from hotel rooms to couches, and relying on friends and family.
In an interview with Daily Mail, the former Chelsea player opened up about how his life has been turned upside down.
Jacob Mellis said: “I spend each day just thinking about where to go really.”
“I have family but I don’t really want to rely on them. I want to try to do stuff for myself. It’s been difficult. I try not to think about it too much. I just try and get on with it.”
“They just want the best for me. They try to help me as much as they can. Obviously they’ve got their own lives. They get me hotels, or I can stay at their house sometimes.”
“From day to day nothing is settled. You think it can never happen to you. I didn’t plan on retiring. It’s difficult.”
Jacob Mellis also talked about his ongoing struggle with alcohol, something that has affected him since his Chelsea days.
He went on to add: “Throughout my career it’s been a thing that’s caused me problems. When you’re drinking you’re not in control of what you’re doing.”
“It affects training, managers wouldn’t be happy. I remember I turned up one time to training drunk. I would’ve been 19.”
“Steve Holland [Chelsea’s assistant coach] sent me in. There’s been a few occasions where it has affected me.”
“David Luiz didn’t speak too much English, but when we’d be warming up he’d [mimics sniffing his breath] ‘Hey, have you been drinking?’. He would say stop.”
“Dermot Drummy [Chelsea’s former academy manager] gave me a mentor, Ashley Cole, to stop me from going out and to talk to me. So people did try, I can’t lie.”
“I was cocky back then, arrogant. I felt like I should be playing. I feel like it is a good thing if it’s channelled in the right way. But I don’t think I channelled it in the right way.”
“I’m drinking as much as I can really. Just to forget about the stress,” he later added.
“It’s pretty much when the opportunity comes.”
Jacob Mellis later departed Chelsea to join Barnsley in 2012, there he spent two seasons before moving to Blackpool.
Jacob Mellis subsequently played for clubs like Oldham, Bury, Mansfield, Bolton and Gillingham before retiring at Southend United in the National League.
The ex Chelsea star is really hoping to find a new role in football, probably towards team management or the likes.
Chelsea on the other hand have helped Mellis secure his first scouting badges and he is also on the verge of getting much needed help from PFA and Tony Adams’ Sporting Chance clinic.
Who is Jacob Mellis?
Jacob Alexander Mellis is an English former professional footballer who was born on 8 January 1991.
Mellis moved from Sheffield United to Chelsea at the age of 16 for a £1 million fee, but made only one substitute appearance before he was dismissed for misconduct in March 2012.
The Englishman spent most of the rest of his career in the English Football League, making 94 Championship appearances for Barnsley and Blackpool and scoring eight goals.
Jacob Mellis was arrested in 2012 after he fought with his girlfriend at his Surrey home in Cobham – they both accepted police cautions for common assault.
Mellis and former Mansfield Town teammate Dion Donohue appeared at Nottingham Crown Court in January 2020.
He was charged with assault, affray and grievous bodily harm alleged to have been committed in Mansfield on 16 August, 2019. Donohue pleaded guilty, and Mellis not guilty.
The case involving Mellis concluded in November 2020.
Jacob Mellis struggled with alcoholism during his career and after retiring, he became homeless.
