I FIRST noticed Jonathan Walman (Jonny to his friends) in the playground at St Hilda’s Junior School, skilfully juggling a football with his feet, thighs and head. He was eight years old and I’d never before seen a youngster of that age with such a mastery of a football.

I recommended him to my colleague, Pete Bevis, who ran the school football team. Pete immediately picked him for the team, two years ahead of his time.

In 1991, Jonny was in my year six class of 10-year-olds. Teaching that group was a doddle because it contained several charismatic kids, like Jonny, who – because they were talented at sport and creative activities – became role models for the rest of the class.

At Edward Sheerien Comprehensive, he continued to improve as a footballer and by the time he was 14, he was selected for the prestigious Barnsley Schoolboys’ team that won the Yorkshire Shield.

But it was around this time that he entered a troubled period in his life caused by nothing more than the typical traumas of adolescence.

“I don’t mind admitting it,” he told me over a coffee recently. “The self-confidence I had at junior school, evaporated. I felt an emptiness inside and it was scary, so I sought solace in booze – even though I was still at school. Getting ‘hammered’ made me feel invincible and seemingly more popular with others.

“And I suppose the only creative activity I spent a bit of time on was learning a few guitar chords – everything else came second to drink.”

When Sheffield Wednesday signed him as a teenager he soon discovered that boozing until 4 am, on a match day, wasn’t conducive to playing high-quality football.

He chose retail for a career, and although successful, Jonny Walman’s life continued on a downward spiral as his drinking got out of control.

He would often disappear on a Friday for a weekend binge and just manage to get back for work on Monday.

He then began dabbling in more powerful substances: but as his use of cocaine, ecstasy and other recreational drugs increased, so did his misery. His desperation to chase a greater ‘high’ only led to a more severe ‘low’.

There were times in his late 30s when the drugs had such a stranglehold on him that all his personal relationships were wrecked.

And just when he thought things couldn’t get any worse he developed another addiction: gambling.

He thought betting on roulette and football was a way out of the deep hole he’d dug for himself. Easy money.

At its height, Jonathan was frittering away £1,000 per week on drugs and gambling, until all his friends and family twigged that lending him money was simply exacerbating the problem.

Finally, with a deep sense of shame and failure, he saw no way out but suicide. When he was discovered half-dead, his caring, loving, family and friends were mortified.

They badgered him to seek help but NHS resources were too stretched and from his skewed perspective he doubted his addictions could be overcome.

Then something miraculous happened: his brother stumbled across a documentary about a recovery home in Liverpool. This provided a faint glimmer of hope for Jonny Walman.

He moved to Liverpool’s ‘Damien John Kelly House’, securing the last bed available at the time. He lived there full time for two years with the option of returning home every weekend. Here, along with fellow sufferers, he was given 24 hour care, education and activities, for as long as it took – on condition he did not regress!

Jonny knew he was at the ‘last chance saloon’ and after two years of intense therapy, his addiction was finally under control.

He was then appointed to a full time job with the charity, ‘The Big Life Group’, helping other addicts to recover. This gave him much job satisfaction, and in his spare time he now creates works of art, writes songs, and is an accomplished solo singer and guitarist in the pubs and clubs of Barnsley.

As he rose to leave, his parting comment to me was: “’Damien John Kelly House’ saved my life. I’m now in a happy, loving relationship and it feels so good to think my mother can sleep soundly at night without worrying about me.

“If the story of my journey through addiction can help others, I’m delighted to share it.”