I feared people would leak my addiction - Shilton

I feared people would leak my addiction - Shilton4 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLewis AdamsEssexPA MediaPeter Shilton was addicted to gambling for 45 years, but quit in 2015Ex-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton said he was too frightened to get help with his gambling addiction, out of fear it would leak in the press.The 76-year-old, who lives on Mersea Island in Essex, lost more than £1m betting on horseracing over 45 years, but he quit in 2015.He has now launched a charity to help other addicts, called Shiltons' Silverlining, and said using his platform was a "no-brainer"."It affects you in so many ways and it's a silent illness that's getting worse and worse," Shilton told BBC Essex presenter Ben Fryer.He is England's most-capped player with 125 appearances, and he played in the World Cup finals of 1982, 1986 and 1990 while also turning out for Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at club level.David Cannon/Allsport/Getty ImagesShilton played international football while in the grip of a decades-long gambling addictionShilton has long credited his addiction counsellor wife, Steph, with helping him to kick the gambling habit."Being quite well known, it's difficult [to get help] because you're frightened it's going to get out and somebody's going to [write] it in the press, it's going to go haywire," he said. "That's why Steph was so good. She worked on me over a period of time until it finally clicked. It is a terrible, silent disease."The legendary goalkeeper, who famously conceded Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in 1986, said his charity would help gamblers rehabilitate themselves and manage their debts, and offer prevention work.It has been backed by his former teammates Gary Lineker, Terry Butcher and Paul Parker, as well as cricket icon Graham Gooch.There are between 117 and 496 suicides associated with problem gambling every year, accordin...