Town striker Michael Chopra has revealed that he was gambling up to £20,000 a day and has probably lost a figure totalling around £2 million over the years. On Thursday, Blues boss Paul Jewell confirmed that the former Cardiff, Newcastle and Sunderland frontman recently spent three weeks in the Sporting Chance Clinic as he looks to recover from his gambling addiction.

Chopra said: "Your first bet's your worst bet. As the years have come along and I've earned more money I've started to gamble more.

"I was gambling up to £20,000 a day at times. As soon as I'd step over the white line I would focus on football - but as soon as I got to the dressing room I would check my phone to see if I'd won.

"As a gambler you want to be playing to get the appearance money. I was playing through injury to cover a debt."

He says the signing-on fee from his move to Sunderland helped cover his losses: "In my first season at Cardiff I had a gambling debt from when I was at Newcastle.

“I had to leave Cardiff and sign for another team to pay that debt off. I have probably lost between £1.5 million and £2 million on gambling."

The 27-year-old says his mind is now very much on getting the Blues into the Premier League: "The main thing now is to get promoted with Ipswich. They've backed me and I want to pay them back."

Meanwhile, Town's reserves are in action in a friendly against Arsenal at Playford Road this lunchtime (KO noon). Fans are welcome to attend the match.

Photo: Action Images

s6blue added 08:48 - Nov 1 wow --- well good luck chops , the town fans are behind you
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BlueMaverick added 08:52 - Nov 1 Completely behind him... Recently read Paul Merson's book and he obviously had similar problems, always chasing that initial buzz... The hardest time for chop's maybe when he stops playing! Still think he is going to get 20 goals this season!
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JimmyJazz added 08:53 - Nov 1 Yes good luck kicking the habit Chops Now where's that blog about weekly gambling tips?
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TrumptonBlue added 08:56 - Nov 1 The betting adverts embedded on this page are a nice touch.
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tractorgirls added 08:57 - Nov 1 Football is to blame in a lot of the players problems... but 20K a day that is ludicrous.
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Marshalls_Mullet added 08:58 - Nov 1 If his first action in the dressing room was to check if he had won his bet, I think some of those thoughts mustve crept into his head on the pitch. I agree with lewlew, his toughest times will come when he stops playing. Its one thing being broke when you have a 3 year contract worth 3 million quid ahead of you, but he wont always have that luxury. He's in it deep and has a long way to go. Good luck mate. And as for having a blog up on 'becoming a professional gambler for a week', slighty bad taste. Have a word Phil.

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charsfield added 09:08 - Nov 1 i guess that bit about needing the signing on fee explains the bizarre "hacked off my have to leave" statement he made last year
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Marshalls_Mullet added 09:13 - Nov 1 I know its an illness, but it frustrates the hell out of me seeing footballers squander huger amounts of fans' hard earned cash.
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bobble added 09:14 - Nov 1 wonder how he went on the melbourne cup ?
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legoman added 09:17 - Nov 1 Twot
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BLUEBEAT added 09:20 - Nov 1 "The main thing now is to get promoted with Ipswich. They've backed me and I want to pay them back." I don't believe a word of that. Never trust an addict. Good luck getting 'clean', Chopra...
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irishtim added 09:29 - Nov 1 best of luck chops hope it works out for both parties
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Bergholtblue added 09:44 - Nov 1 Trumptonblue - I noticed that touch of irony too. Nice to see that it has changed to an advert for Sky. It is a long road ahead for him to kick the habit but he has already taken the hardest step of all, by admitting, in public, that he has a problem. Best of luck.
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Marshalls_Mullet added 09:48 - Nov 1 I am really not sure that admitting it is the hardest step, I would think that resisting temptation that is all around him will be the hardest step.
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UsualSuspect added 10:23 - Nov 1 £20,000 a day! I know it's all relative but incredible all the same. Personally didn't see anything wrong in airing the professional gambler for a week blog, can't be wrapping everybody up in cotton wool, we'll no doubt see the strength of Michael Chopra's character over the coming weeks and months.
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Stadiumofdark added 10:34 - Nov 1 To be fair.... £2million is peanuts. I know a bloke, admittedly Irish, who gambled and lost £4million on the fact that Lee Martin & Tamas Priskin were footballers. Not to mention his other bet that Jordan Rhodes wouldn't be any good
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TheRef added 10:36 - Nov 1 he can pay me 20G's a day, i would never waste it, well i would, but not on gambling, i would buy some new shoes and a handbag, cooooeeeeee, lol
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Ipswich24 added 10:39 - Nov 1 Stadiumofdark that is best post read in a while
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superblues9 added 10:55 - Nov 1 Stadium of dark that is rather good
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JimmyJazz added 10:58 - Nov 1 Is it wrapping everything in cotton wool, as part of a nanny state? Happened to listen to that Life's a Pitch show on Saturday. They cut to Phil at Millwall to ask about Chopra and then followed it with that idiot and his gambling tips for the afternoon at the races. It was as if Chopra's issue was an annoying sideshow that required lip service and then let's get on with the rest of the crap that the show serves up. Sorry Phil, exempting you from any blame in the above.

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Legend added 11:22 - Nov 1 Stadiumofdark........Quality comment and so very very true!
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simplesuffolkfarmer1 added 11:31 - Nov 1 loving the paddy power advert. Chops we're completly behing you
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blue_em_away added 12:18 - Nov 1 So that will be 20k a day a bookie is now not getting. Good! Good luck Michael. I have time for people who hold thier hands up, but, no time for denile.
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Mark added 12:33 - Nov 1 "I had to leave Cardiff and sign for another team to pay that debt off." The worry for the future is that he may want to leave Ipswich to pay a new debt! Let's hope he is able to put this behind him and focus on ITFC.
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Smailes123 added 12:49 - Nov 1 hasnt scored as much as people thought
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