Ex-Liverpool star 'would have never played for Reds if he did not drink alcohol'

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Former Liverpool star Neil 'Razor' Ruddock has candidly admitted he would never have played a game for the Reds during the 1990s had he not drunk alcoholNeil Ruddock was known for his hard-living life off the pitch(Image: Getty Images)Neil 'Razor' Ruddock has admitted he would never have played a game for Liverpool during the 1990s had he not drunk alcohol.Back in July 1993, Ruddock arrived on Merseyside from Tottenham Hotspur as the most expensive defender in the world at the time, having signed for Liverpool for £2.5 million. We hadn't got a clue what we're doing, but the big boys are all drinking pints and you want to be part of the group, so you join in."Neil Ruddock played for Liverpool from 1993 to 1998(Image: Photo by David Davies/Offside via Getty Images)Liverpool's '90s drinking culture would not mesh well with the high-performance nature of the Premier League days.

However, speaking to former Sky Sports 'Soccer Saturday' host Jeff Stelling on 'The Jeff Stelling Show', Ruddock admits had he not been a big drinker at the time, he would not have been able to play for the Reds."A massive one," replied Ruddock when asked about what the drinking culture inside the Liverpool dressing room was like during the 90's."Back in the 70s and 80s, if you didn't drink you'd never have played for Liverpool. The big Arsenal team had their Tuesday Club — Tony Adams, Merson, that back four."Such was the impact of the drinking culture during his playing days, it impacted upon his life heavily after he retired."That's when the drinking really snowballed," added Ruddock.

That came about as a result of a confrontation with his close friend, former England and Arsenal striker Paul Merson, who himself struggled with severe alcohol addiction, on the ITV reality show 'Harry's Heroes: Euro Having A Laugh', which aired in 2020.Neil Ruddock in one of the infamous Armani white suits ahead of the 1996 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Manchester UnitedOn the show, Merson pleaded with Ruddock to cut down on how much he was drinking, telling him "I care for you" to which Ruddock replied "f--- off."While he was furious at the time, it did force Ruddock to change his ways, as he admitted to Stelling."He told me the truth. I watch it back now and I'm really embarrassed," said Ruddock.