Chelsea midfielder Deco admits he is still hurt over a drugs slur.

Deco, 32, was the target of a malicious whispering campaign which claimed he went into a rehab clinic to kick his habit, says the News of the World.

In his autobiography The Price of Glory, Deco admits the scars remain from the "shameful" episode spread by "sick people" who were trying to destroy him.

Deco said: "My recovery from a muscle injury led to a violent explosion surrounding my name. It was a defamatory explosion - really shameful - spread by sick people without scruples.

"It's one of the things that have marked me in a negative way.

"The rumour went that during the week I was away having treatment, I was at a rehab clinic in Spain because I was into drugs. In little time, the rumour ran from one end of Portugal to the other. It was a frightening thing.

"Several people confirmed to me what they'd heard. They said 'That wretched Deco - such a good player and he ended up getting into drugs. He even had to spend a week in rehab to rid himself of them'.

"I can forget bad things said about me no matter how unpleasant as long as there was some justification, even if I didn't agree with it.

"But I can't forget, much less forgive that someone should try to destroy me, to get at me, my agent and Porto. I don't forgive it and never will."