Sandro Tonali admits he only realised how “serious” his gambling addiction was during his 10-month ban from football, with the Newcastle United midfielder revealing that he came to “realise that I was paying for what I had done”.

The Italy international was suspended between October 2023 and August 2024 for breaching gambling rules, having placed bets during his time at AC Milan and then subsequently after joining Newcastle for £55million during the summer of 2023.

After spending 10 months training but unable to play competitive or friendly matches, only appearing in a handful of training games, Tonali returned in August and has become an integral fixture in the Newcastle XI, particularly excelling since switching to a No 6 role in December.

The 24-year-old believes he has transformed his outlook on life, weening himself off being constantly on his mobile phone, alongside managing and treating the “gambling illness” which his agent, Beppe Riso, described Tonali as suffering from in October 2023.

“No, it’s not an exaggeration to talk about a first and a second life,” Tonali told La Repubblica, during an in-depth interview. “My lifestyle was negative.

“I closed myself off from everyone and this caused me to change my behaviour: even with the people who loved me and ones I loved. I was like this both at training and at home, with friends and family. Today, fortunately, I’m different.

“Someone who manages to talk to everyone: to those who need help and to those who don’t. A more helpful and generous person. No longer alone on the field.”

Tonali has impressed since returning for Newcastle (George Wood/Getty Images)

Part of Tonali’s treatment has involved speaking to a private psychiatrist in Italy, Gabriele Sani, as well as Newcastle’s head of psychology, Dr Ian Mitchell.

This has allowed Tonali to better understand why he became addicted to gambling and recognise that the lucrative life he enjoyed as a footballer meant he did not fully comprehend the gravity of his betting habits.

“During the months away from the field I spent a lot of time with the psychologist,” Tonali said. “His job was to make me realise how I had fallen into it. Usually you realise it the moment you lose something: family, work, salary. In my case, however, my financial situation meant that I didn’t realise how serious it was.”

Interestingly, Tonali also reveals that medication was not an option during his recovery, given that many of the drugs that he could have been prescribed are on the banned list for professional athletes.

“It was a difficult recovery process,” said Tonali. “I couldn’t take specific drugs because I would have tested positive for doping with 95 per cent of them, so it was all a mental process: it lasted months, with a psychologist and a psychiatrist.

“In the first two months I was cut off from everyone, then as I returned to life, training every day without having the game, I realised that I was paying for what I had done.”

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It is difficult to comprehend the full extent of the psychological challenge Tonali faced during his 10 months away from football. Clearly, the Italian did not fully comprehend the gravity of his betting until he was denied the opportunity to do what he loves for such an extended period.

Newcastle deserve an immense amount of credit for how they handled the unprecedented situation they faced with Tonali. Having invested such a significant sum in signing him, they could have felt a sense of bitterness but, if they did, institutionally that never came across.

Instead, through Eddie Howe, the head coach, Dan Ashworth, the then-sporting director, and Amanda Staveley, the former co-owner, Newcastle threw their arms around Tonali and prioritised the human element over the footballing fallout. They offered Tonali their immediate, unwavering support, and his recovery was handled impeccably throughout his 10 months out of football.

Tonali remains immensely grateful for the empathy shown to him by everyone inside Newcastle, and supporters who sang his name and held up banners of support during his suspension, and he is now rewarding their loyalty by delivering top-class performances on the pitch.

His battle against his addiction remains ongoing, but Tonali seems to view himself as a reformed character.

(Michael Regan/Getty Images)