Former Bafana Bafana star Junaid Hartley has thanked South Africans for their support during his difficult times.
Hartley has reunited with his family and friends after living on the streets for more than 12 years due to drug abuse.
The former Orlando Pirates midfielder is now more than a year living clean after being discharged from the drug rehabilitation centre in Johannesburg.
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Hartley is currently rebuilding his life after sold his cars and house due to his old cravings.
"It's been life-changing for me since being out of the facility. I was there for a year and two months and I have been out for a year now and every day since been out has been phenomenal," Hartley tells Kick Off.
"As South Africans, we underestimate the diverse culture that is in front of us and that that there is no other country has. No matter what situation you find yourself in there is always support that can get you through, your family, the country, and everybody behind you to get through whatever situation you going through.
"So I want to thank South Africans for being behind me. I want to thank my family for helping me to get through what I had to get through and start to make me dream again because when you are in substance abuse, you stop dreaming, you don't have any drive you don't have any.
"Right now it's been life-changing. I am currently trying to impact my football knowledge to my academy and fortunately, the impression I left as a player in certain areas people still reminded the person and player I was and those are people who got me back on my feet. My first deal to sustain myself was through somebody that supported me from was at Seven Stars and Ajax, they supported me 101% and that was my first deal since that day I have never looked back," he added.
Meanwhile, Hartley has detailed how he was hooked on drugs after returning to the country from Malaysia where he last played his football before returning to the country in 2007.
"When I came back from Malaysia I had a little bit of money and I made the mistake of thinking that the money would carry me for a long time. I had a party one December at my house and that party never ended that's how I was introduced to drugs," says Hartley.
"So I took the first line and I never stopped for 14 years and what made it worse it took me next to a Casino. I started gambling and it went to the point where expected the Casino to take care of my bills and thought that at the Casino I would win and take care of responsibilities".
"Before you know everything is gone, your family, your wife, and children have moved out, your house you lose, you sell your cars because you need to maintain that certain kind of lifestyle and you need to maintain that habit because you can't function without it," he added.
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