Premier League footballer with laughing gas addiction treated by paramedics after being found 'surrounded by canisters' at his home

A friend of the unnamed player called the emergency services after finding him in his flat surrounded by canisters of nitrous oxide, the Daily Mail reports. Police were also in attendance amid the presence of the illegal gas but the player will not be prosecuted in the wake of the incident, which occurred last month.

The player in question is said to have been fighting an addiction to laughing gas and has apparently relapsed after undergoing treatment in a rehab clinic. The player's club are aware of the incident, the report says, and are offering further support.

Nitrous oxide is often inhaled from balloons and use of the gas increases risk of heart attack, strokes and brain damage. Late last year, nitrous oxide was designated as a controlled Class C drug in the United Kingdom and possession for inhalation is now deemed a criminal offence.

There are fears that laughing gas usage is widespread among Premier League footballers after high-profile incidents of players using it. Video of Kyle Walker using it circulated in 2013 while Raheem Sterling was also seen using it.