What has Peter Shilton’s wife Steph Shilton said? England football star’s gambling addiction explained

The former Leicester City and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper has had a lifelong betting addiction, with his wife Steph Shilton detailing his recovery in a new BBC interview
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Peter Shilton’s wife Steph Shilton has spoken out about the football legend’s gambling addiction.

The former England, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, who is the most capped player of all time for his country, struggled with a betting addiction from his teenage years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He has since recovered, with Steph Shilton urging other addicts to seek help in an interview with the BBC.

So what happened to Peter Shilton?

Here’s what you need to know.

Steph Shilton said her husband Peter Shilton had a ‘gobsmacking’ gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)Steph Shilton said her husband Peter Shilton had a ‘gobsmacking’ gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)
Steph Shilton said her husband Peter Shilton had a ‘gobsmacking’ gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)

Who is Peter Shilton?

Peter Shilton, 72, is a former footballer who starred for England, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.

In a career spanning 31 years and taking in more than 1,000 league games, the goalkeeper won the First Division title, twice won the European Cup and appeared in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) team of the year 10 times.

However, he is best known for his role in the controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal Diego Maradona scored against England at the 1986 World Cup.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Since retiring in 1997, he has had a career as an after-dinner speaker.

Peter Shilton is most famous for his involvement in the ‘Hand of God’ Diego Maradona goal (image: Getty Images)Peter Shilton is most famous for his involvement in the ‘Hand of God’ Diego Maradona goal (image: Getty Images)
Peter Shilton is most famous for his involvement in the ‘Hand of God’ Diego Maradona goal (image: Getty Images)

How bad was Peter Shilton’s gambling addiction?

In 2020, Peter Shilton revealed his 45-year-long gambling addiction in an interview with the Daily Mail.

At the time, the football great said he had “never won at gambling” and found it “frightening”.

He announced he was working with the government to raise awareness of the issues associated with gambling, including mental health problems.

Peter Shilton won 125 caps for England - a record that still stands today (image: Getty Images)Peter Shilton won 125 caps for England - a record that still stands today (image: Getty Images)
Peter Shilton won 125 caps for England - a record that still stands today (image: Getty Images)
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Shilton has also worked with the charity Gambling with Lives - an organisation that was set up by bereaved parents of gamblers.

In an interview with the BBC published on Sunday (7 August), Peter Shilton’s wife Steph Shilton has revealed more detail on her husband’s addiction issues.

She said she initially thought he was seeing another woman after the pair got together in 2012.

“He would go out of the room to use his phone; he was quite secretive,” the jazz singer said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I thought he was being a gentleman and not gambling in front of me, and that it was just a little hobby.”

Peter Shilton won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest (image: Getty Images)Peter Shilton won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest (image: Getty Images)
Peter Shilton won the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest (image: Getty Images)

However, it soon became apparent that her future husband was struggling with a major addiction when she found him gambling on horse racing in the middle of the night.

“That’s when it hit me that it’s not a hobby, that something was very wrong. I knew he had an addiction.”

Steph, who says she previously worked in the NHS, said the retired footballer was “very defensive” and “in denial” about his condition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When he first proposed to her, she said she refused because of his addiction.

Mrs Shilton also said she kept her finances separate from her partner.

The first time she got her first real impression of the scale of his gambling problem was when she saw his bank statement that showed he was betting £18,000 a month.

“It was gobsmacking. I was shocked to the core. I thought ‘oh my god, he is so ill’. It broke my heart,” Steph Shilton told the BBC.

How did Peter Shilton recover from gambling addiction?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Soon after discovering the full extent of Peter Shilton’s addiction, Steph Shilton had a miscarriage.

Her partner became even more withdrawn and looked visibly unwell, she said.

Peter Shilton has made a full recovery from his gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)Peter Shilton has made a full recovery from his gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)
Peter Shilton has made a full recovery from his gambling addiction (image: Getty Images)

One day, Mrs Shilton said she was going to sleep in the spare bedroom at the couple’s home in Mersea, Essex.

The next day, Peter Shilton resolved to get help for his gambling problem.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The footballer had to go through a “full-blown withdrawal” over a period of several months, before his addiction began to subside.

Despite approaching Betfair - the company Mr Shilton placed bets with - in a bid to at least place limits on her partner’s account, Steph Shilton said the company “didn’t do anything at all”.

The gambling firm told the BBC that is has now changed its policies and has made it easier to suspend or pause the accounts of suspected addicts.

More than seven years on, Steph Shilton says her husband - whom she wed in 2016 - has fully recovered from his addiction and says he’s the happiest he’s ever been in his personal life.

Steph Shilton has since become a fully-qualified therapist and also works as an ambassador for ARA - Addiction Recovery Agency - on its Six to Ten project.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.