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

simonsays added 13:06 - Nov 1 Does that mean we are paying him over £100k a week then?
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Pedlarjak added 13:10 - Nov 1 Let us hope that these are not crocodile tears, and that - unlike the crocodiles - he is not in de nial
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LordMamu added 13:56 - Nov 1 Three weeks talking to Tony Adams, no wonder he's eager to get back to playing.
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wherescounago added 14:03 - Nov 1 Saw Mr Chopra speaking on sky news just before 1pm and he was saying the only reason he left Cardiff was to get a signing on fee to pay off his gambling debts and that in hindsight he should have stayed there. Well if that's his attitude why are so many supporting him. If he doesn't want to be here lets shift him on ASAP and get in someone who doesn't have the issues he has. Any sympathy I had for him has gone out of the window with the betting slip that had him down as first goal scorer last Saturday!

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JimmyJazz added 14:25 - Nov 1 Wherescounago, are you sure he wasn't talking about leaving Cardiff for Sunderland, when he made a rather quick return back to Cardiff instead of being a Geordie at the Mackems?
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Garv added 15:05 - Nov 1 Wherescounago - try reading the quotes above these very comments!
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wherescounago added 15:13 - Nov 1 If I miss understood what he said I aplogise but I am still of the view that we need committed players and those that get on with what they are paid to do. His head is elsewhere at present but I hope he proves me wrong. However I still have no sympathy for his plight and seriously question whether he is what we need right now.
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BlueArmy01 added 15:28 - Nov 1 Most of us are supporting families on 20k a year, get a life, just another over privileged under achieving Footballer....
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dreblue added 16:32 - Nov 1 I recon he should have one last gamble and put money on him been the CHAMPIONSHIP TOP SCORER! That way he will score all the time knowing he has a bet in place.... BOOM! On a serious note.... Let's all get behind him and fingers crossed this is all in the past now! COYB!
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h32 added 17:41 - Nov 1 Disgraceful - proves the punters are paying far too much to watch these vastly overpaid - so called players.
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jas0999 added 18:37 - Nov 1 Firstly I wish Chopra all the very best. However, I have to question why PJ - knowing this - signed him? Surely his mind isn't on football, Cardiff wanted rid, everyone knew about his problems, no one else wanted to sign him and now we have to pick up the pieces. Having said that ME is doing the right thing as he is our player - but I now fully understand why Cardiff wanted rid and why the Cardiff fans wished us luck! Best of luck Chopra - I really hope you can sort yourself out. Gambling to this extent is quite clearly very serious and perhaps you need some time off.

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JayITFC added 01:13 - Nov 2 £2 million? Jesus ******* christ!
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