LEAGUE OF IRELAND player Craig Walsh has revealed through a joint statement with the FAI and Sport Ireland that he tested positive from a drugs test and is serving a one-year ban as a result.
Walsh, who plays for Shelbourne, previously played with UCD and Bohemians after returning from a brief stint on reality TV, namely Sky's Football's Next Star.
On Friday, a joint statement from Sport Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland [FAI] revealed that he had committed an anti-doping violation, but his original period of ineligibility was reduced as they found there was "No Significant Fault or Negligence" on his part.
The statement also confirmed that the player, who has endured a 'severe' gambling addiction, tested positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine.
Walsh released his own statement too, offering his apologies for what happened and expressing regret at what he had done.
Despite that, the talented midfielder also added that he felt he wanted to add clarity to the situation on something that was out of character.
He admitted taking the drug in a toilet in a Dublin pub after a day of drinking - the day before he was supposed to play for Shelbourne against Cabinteely.
He explained: "I suffer from a severe gambling addiction and have done for some years now. It is debilitating and all consuming and, like most addictions, when it unleashes its full power, it becomes impossible to control.
"It has also caused me to suffer depressive symptoms as a consequence.
"On the night of 3 September 2015, I hit rock bottom. I had lost far more money than I possessed and I lost control of my senses.
"My gambling problem had become more and more acute and I didn’t know where to turn.
"My judgement was impaired to such an extent that I drank to excess and then took a small amount of cocaine which was offered to me during a period when I was unable to exercise any level of self control."
Walsh also stated his desire to get back into the game when the ban is lifted on September 4, 2016.
