Daryl Janmaat, the former Newcastle United and Watford full-back, has opened up about his struggle with cocaine addiction in a new interview.
The 36-year-old, who earned 34 caps for the Netherlands, disclosed that his dependency on the drug played a significant role in the collapse of his marriage.
“I cannot and do not want to mention all the details, but my cocaine addiction has caused a lot of misery,” Janmaat told AD.
During his time in English football, the defender featured 77 times for Newcastle across two seasons from 2014 to 2016, subsequently spending four years at Watford.
His international career peaked when he helped the Dutch reach the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost to Argentina on penalties.
Janmaat’s playing days came to an abrupt halt in 2022 at ADO Den Haag, the Dutch club where he had first emerged as a professional.
The circumstances surrounding his retirement proved devastating.
Daryl Janmaat, the former Newcastle United and Watford full-back, has opened up about his struggle with cocaine addiction in a new interview
|PA
An injection in his knee went wrong when an incorrect needle caused the joint to become infected, effectively ending his career.
“I wanted to do so much, but a knee injury threw a spanner in the works,” he explained. “My career was over, I couldn’t handle that.”
Following his retirement, Janmaat took on a technical director role at ADO Den Haag, but the transition proved deeply challenging.
Five facts about the Premier League | PA/GETTY/REUTERS/GBNEWS“I was supposed to get help from everyone and everything, but I was left to fend for myself,” he said.
“Suddenly, I lost the structure I’d had for years as a footballer.”
The addiction developed insidiously, fundamentally altering his behaviour towards those closest to him.
“That was difficult, the cocaine addiction gradually crept in. You start lying to the people you love. That’s terrible, I hurt a lot of people,” Janmaat reflected.
The father of three acknowledged that his substance abuse contributed to the breakdown of his relationship with his wife Yoshi, though he noted their marriage had already been experiencing difficulties.
“I am still officially married, but we are no longer together,” he said.
Daryl Janmaat has revealed his marriage to wife Yoshi is over, with addiction playing a part
|“The relationship wasn’t going well anyway, but that addiction obviously didn’t help.”
Despite the damage caused, Janmaat indicated that relations with his estranged wife have improved.
“A lot has been damaged, although we are getting on well again. It was cocaine, not something else. Not drink either. It can happen to anyone, I think. I never thought I could become addicted.”
In 2023, Janmaat was reportedly discovered under the influence of drugs in Scheveningen, a coastal district of The Hague, following which he entered a rehabilitation facility in South Africa.
The former Premier League defender has spoken out ahead of his appearance in a documentary entitled ‘Real Men Don’t Cry’, which examines how elite sport affects mental health. Former Aston Villa centre-back Ron Vlaar is among the other ex-professionals featured in the film.
Janmaat, who also played for Heerenveen and Feyenoord during his career in the Netherlands, has conceded that a return to football is unlikely at present. The 36-year-old has instead embarked on a new chapter, having established his own gym business.