Paul Gascoigne says he is homeless and living in agent's spare room, as he continues to battle alcoholism
5 March 2024, 18:49 | Updated: 6 March 2024, 09:51
Paul Gascoigne has revealed he is homeless and living in his agent's spare room, as he continues to struggle with alcoholism.
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The England legend, 56, played 57 times for his country, and also turned out for Newcastle, Tottenham, Lazio and Rangers, among others. He is considered one of the best players to have turned out for the Three Lions.
But Gascoigne has also had a decades-long struggle with alcohol and gambling, and said that he is now living with his manager Katie Davies in Poole.
He told the High Performance podcast: "I used to be a happy drunk. I ain't anymore. I'm a sad drunk. I don't go out and drink, I drink indoors".
He added: "People know Paul Gascoigne but Gazza, no one knows. Even me sometimes. I've spent a lot of years being down, when I did my ligaments and then my kneecap, I missed four years of football. I would've got 100 caps (for England).
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"I try not to get down because the world's already down enough. And when I'm really down, that's when I pick up a drink to cheer myself up.
"I don't think I let any managers down, or the players or the fans you know. If there was anyone I let down, it was myself. But more the drinking side of it, when I finished playing."
Gascoigne has been arrested several times for incidents related to his drinking, and has been to rehab on multiple occasions. He said in 2021 that he would always be an alcoholic.
He said: "If I want to make it a bad day, (all I need to do) is) go down the pub. If I want it to be a good day, get my flying rod out and go fishing.
"It's not the drinking, it's the afterwards. Looking at my phone after and seeing 30 messages or missed calls, I know I'm in trouble. But I've been alright. Last year wasn't brilliant, was off and on for a couple of months."
Gascoigne said he was going back to Alcoholics Anonymous events.
"I went to a meeting the other night so that was alright. Just an AA meeting. I went with a friend and that was okay. They're alright, harmless," he said.
Gascoigne said he drinks coffee now instead of alcohol, and will often have six cups before 10am. But he claimed that some people try to trip him up publicly by leaving bottles of alcohol outside his front door, then photograph him when he picks them up.
He added: "I called Katie up in November a few years ago crying my eyes out. What I put myself through and other people, jail and rehab - taking cocaine off toilet seats - and then I'm asked to be ambassador for my country, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"When I do these venues, I hardly talk about football, more the crazy stuff I used to get up to. I've got to get straight in and get them laughing.
"There's a few times when I've cried on stage. You miss it on a Saturday, you know, entertaining people. I got such a f****** buzz from it and you miss that.
"I can be emotionally soft. It doesn't take long for us to cry sometimes. I keep a lot of stuff in, stuff I should share but get scared of sharing with people. I don't think I'll ever grow up, which I don't mind you know?
"I'm proud of what I've given people. I gave nearly a million quid to ten different charities and called them to keep it quiet.
"I've never (given up). I think the time I'll give in is when I'm in a wooden box. Apart from that, I'll keep on fighting on."
