Ex-Cardiff City boss Dave Jones says the Welsh side were well aware that their former striker Michael Chopra’s gambling was getting out of hand last season. The 27-year-old, who recently spent three weeks in the Sporting Chance Clinic as he seeks to address his problem, is claimed to have been threatened by someone demanding the repayment of debts at the Blues’ training ground by one of this morning’s tabloids.
Jones, who like the frontman left Cardiff this summer, said: "I knew everything about what Chops was up to. The only thing we never really knew was the amount, but whatever he told us we just tripled anyway.
"We knew all when we signed Chops the first time and second time. I'd informed Roy [Keane] of his addiction [when he went to Sunderland] and also I'd informed Paul Jewell of the addiction as well.
"Part and parcel of the reason why he didn't play at the back end of the season that I was there was because of the gambling and we thought that it was affecting him, because he was a shadow of himself really.”
Jones says the Welsh club made attempts to try to help Chopra with his addiction, which was costing him up to £20,000 a day: "We tried to get him to see people but it's like any addiction that you have, that people have to do it themselves.
"We lined up lots of people for him to see, spoke to him basically nearly every day on the situation because there was always something else coming up.
"I'm pleased that he's now tried to address it but he's on a long road and I wish him all the very best."
Jones says the only surprise in the recent revelations was the Chopra’s claim that he played when he was injured: "Chops was quite a clever lad and if he had an injury he would have played anyway. The rest of it I knew all about. I did [help] as much as I possibly could but there comes a point, as there was with Jeff Whitley, where you have to pull the plug."
Meanwhile, Chopra was confronted by a man posing as an autograph hunter demanding cash to pay back debts, according to this morning’s Sun.
There is no official comment from Town, although a "source at the club” is reported to have said: "Chopra has cleared off his debts and is starting from a clean state."
Elsewhere, ex-Blues boss Roy Keane continues to be linked with the vacant manager's job at Leicester.
One-time Town and Leicester striker Marcus Bent is reportedly joining Indonesian Liga Prima club Mitra Kukar.
Meanwhile, former Town skipper Matt Holland is amongst those to have paid tribute to Doncaster striker Billy Sharp, who played and scored for Rovers last night despite the death of his new-born son: "Thoughts are with Billy Sharp and his wife tonight after losing two-day old son. Very brave to play."