CHELSEA legend Graeme Le Saux has lifted the lid on the homophobic abuse he suffered throughout his career.
Le Saux, 56, played 322 times for the Blues and won the Premier League with Blackburn during a glittering career.
Graeme Le Saux has opened up on life at ChelseaNews Group Newspapers Ltd
Le Saux says he was on the receiving end of ‘banter in the worst possible way’Getty
But the former England star, who is married with two kids, was taunted by team-mates and fans over false claims that he was gay.
Opening up on life inside the dressing room, Le Saux told The Telegraph: “I can comfortably say that the environment I went into at Chelsea was incredibly tough and very debilitating in many ways.
“I always had that sporting anger and I was very competitive. That was in me.
“Stepping into Chelsea’s then training ground there was no duty of care. It was all about banter in the worst possible way.
“They talked about ‘resilience’ which was an excuse to abuse people.
“They said: ‘Oh, we are toughening you up’.”
Le Saux’s mum Daphne sadly died when he was just 13 while he was playing in a football tournament in France.
He admitted: “If I hadn’t been through what I went through as a youngster and my mum dying, I may not have been able to survive.”
Le Saux previously said he felt targeted due to his unconventional lifestyle that saw him go to university and read The Guardian newspaper in the dressing room.
Abuse once came from Robbie Fowler on the pitch in 1999, who repeatedly bent over and pointed to his backside in the left-back’s direction.
The Liverpool striker later apologised in an interview in 2014 and Le Saux has forgiven him.
After hanging up his boots 20 years ago, Le Saux went on to hold positions at Real Mallorca and the FA.
He now works as a pundit for NBC Sports in the US and he runs an AI company that analyses football teams and players.
News Group Newspapers LtdLe Saux was taunted on the pitch by Fowler[/caption]
PA:Press AssociationFowler later apologised for his actions[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
