Former England rugby league star Malcolm Alker tragically died from a drug and alcohol overdose after battling depression following his retirement, an inquest heard. The ex-Salford captain, who was 45 years old and had been capped twice by England, succumbed to multi-organ failure due to multiple drug toxicity, according to the coroner's ruling.

Wigan-born Alker, who dedicated his entire career to the Red Devils, turned to heavy drinking as a coping mechanism for mental health issues post-retirement. He also had a long-standing brain injury, believed to be the result of repeated blows to the head, which led to a diagnosis of suspected early-onset dementia.

After retiring from rugby, the father-of-two took up work as a bricklayer and HGV driver. However, he struggled with depression and in 2018, was imprisoned for committing two robberies under the influence of cocaine at Tesco and KFC in his hometown of Wigan.

In the period leading up to his death, Alker had moved into his mother's house due to domestic issues, as revealed at Bolton Coroners Court. Although he was living alone, his family regularly checked in on him.

On January 13 this year, police were called to the home in Ince, Wigan, following concerns about his welfare and potential overdose. Medics were informed that he had taken sleeping tablets but did not intend to harm himself, reports the Mirror.

He was immediately rushed to Royal Bolton Hospital. Empty bottles of gin and vodka were also discovered by police at the house, the inquest heard.

Because the A&E department was overwhelmed, he had to wait inside the ambulance, where he suffered a cardiac arrest. Shortly after, he was rushed into the resuscitation area.

Tragically, he experienced a second cardiac arrest and was admitted to the critical care unit but was declared deceased on the morning of January 14.

A post-mortem examination revealed that his death was due to multi-organ failure from multiple drug toxicity. The medication levels in his bloodstream were low because they had been metabolised over the preceding hours.

The inquest was informed that he had struggled with drug and alcohol issues, which he used to manage anxiety and depression. He had a history of self-harm and "impulsive" overdoses between 2015 and 2021.

Coroner Michael Pemberton concluded in his summary that Mr Alker's life derailed after his professional rugby career ended. He remarked: "There were times when he found things difficult and there had been a number of disruptive events in the preceding few years."

He ruled the cause of death as alcohol and drug-related. Alker debuted for Salford's first team in 1997 and became captain at the age of 21 in 2000, later serving as the club's permanent captain.

He made 292 appearances throughout his entire professional career at the club.

In 2001, he made history by becoming the first player to surpass 1,000 tackles in a Super League season. At the time of his passing, he was in the process of seeking compensation from the sport's governing body for brain damage incurred during his playing career.