The ex-striker made 60 Premier League appearances (Picture: Getty)

Former Premier League and Championship striker Michael Chopra lost up to £2m gambling and says a team-mate stopped him from placing a £120,000 bet on one match.

Chopra has spoken openly about his battles with gambling addiction, previously revealing he had a spell at the Sporting Chance Clinic to address the problem.

The ex-Newcastle United, Cardiff City, Ipswich Town and Sunderland star has estimated he gambled away up to £2m and has said at times he played through injury to cover his debts.

Looking back at a ‘really bad’ period with his addition, Chopra revealed he once asked Newcastle team-mate Kieron Dyer to place a £120,000 bet on a Juventus game as he was already in debt with the bookmaker.
Dyer, a former England international, refused to place the wager and then told Newcastle and then-captain Alan Shearer that Chopra needed help.

?Juventus were playing someone and I said to Kieron, ?put £120 grand on?,’ Chopra recalled on The Central Club podcast.

‘He said, ‘I’m not doing it?. I was like, ?Put it on!?. He said, ?I can’t do it for you. If they lose, you’re £170,000 in debt.?

Michael Chopra played for several EFL clubs (Picture: Getty)

?Juventus won. I came in and said, ?That would have cleared the balance on my debt?. But he was looking out for me and not putting that much of a bet on for me. 

?I had the same agent as [Alan] Shearer ...