Looking back on his much-publicised battle with alcohol addiction, ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne has revealed that he briefly died while in rehab and had to be resuscitated by a team of doctors.
The 48 year old appeared on ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’ on Wednesday (April 20th) to talk openly about battling his demons, and told hosts Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan about the near-fatal incident during treatment at a rehabilitation facility a number of years ago.
“I’m doing alright,” the gifted midfielder, affectionately known as Gazza, told them. “You mention the rehabs there. I’ve been in for Red Bull, for Calpol, I’ve been in for no reason sometimes you know. I’ve only been in rehab seriously three times for the drink.”
Paul Gascoigne arriving at the ITV studios on Wednesday (Apr 20)
“Last time was three years ago in that was in Cottonwood where I passed away apparently… …I thought that would be enough. Some people get it quite early and get the addiction in hand, sometimes fear a bit.”
Only a few weeks ago, fans of the former Spurs, Newcastle and Lazio player were concerned at pictures that emerged in the tabloid newspapers of him holding a bottle of booze, with cuts to his face, in an incident that constituted his first relapse in 11 months.
“When I’m actually in it I don’t realise how bad I actually am.” He added: “In Bournemouth where I live, I’m not allowed to get on with it. Get followed all the time.”
Gascoigne has been fighting alcohol addiction since 1998, while he was still playing professional football, and several stints in rehab have only ever seemed to be partially successful, with relapses consistently making national newspapers.
About the help he receives, Gascoigne has always been grateful. “The Providence Projects… the support I get from them is fantastic and sometimes I feel embarrassed getting the support because there’s people who aren’t fortunate that live on the streets with my illness and they don’t really get the support, so sometimes to help myself I go and help another person. Every day I try and do three good deeds, if it’s giving someone a fiver, a pack of cigarettes you know – even a little sandwich.”
More: Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and other stars pay for Paul Gascoigne’s rehab amid ex-footballer’s ongoing battle with alcoholism [archive]
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