Paul Gascoigne has admitted that he will never stop drinking in a new interview where the England legend has insisted that he plans to ‘die as Gazza’ rather than change his present lifestyle.
Gascoigne, 58, has publicly battled alcohol addiction and mental health problems since retiring more than 20 years ago.
In his new book ‘Eight’, the former Newcastle star opens up about his personal battle with alcoholism and his continuing attempts to stay sober.
As part of his publicity tour for the new memoir, Gascoigne told viewers during his appearance on Good Morning Britain that he still drinks alcohol, repeatedly breaking down as he recounted his struggles with substance abuse.
But in conversation with the Mirror on Friday, Gascoigne doubled down on the stance and stressed that he has ‘nothing to hide’ after a life lived vividly in the public eye.
‘Jimmy Greaves stopped drinking, but that is Jimmy Greaves,’ Gascoigne said. ‘I am not Jimmy Greaves and I am not George Best.
Paul Gascoigne has admitted that he has no plans to stop drinking and instead prefers to live ‘for today’
The England legend has struggled with alcohol addiction and mental health problems in the wake of his retirement from football (pictured in 1996)
‘I don’t get drunk because I hate my mum and dad or I hate the public. It is not about that. I do it for the sake of it. I might regret it. But I don’t think about yesterday, I don’t think about tomorrow. I just think about today and live for today.’
‘I have not changed, I cannot change, I would not know how to change,’ he added.
‘I will probably die as Gazza. But I have nothing to hide. The whole country knows what I have done now.
‘I drank because I wanted to drink, I regretted the consequences afterwards. Now if I have a relapse, I do not go for weeks on end like I did before. Looking back, I must have hurt my mum and dad. But you do not think about it. The person you hurt the most is yourself.’
Gascoigne articulately his current life choices on Good Morning Britain, noting that he still joins up with Alcoholics Anonymous.
‘I can go months and months without bothering and then have a two-day blip and then the consequences,’ said Gascoigne. ‘And then I don’t like myself for a few days.
‘I just get miserable and then have to go to an AA meeting and just listen because you wonder what it is. It wasn’t until I first went to AA meetings that I realised I was an alcoholic.’
Gascoigne appeared close to tears on several occasions when delving into his past trauma, and viewers were left both saddened and appalled that he was allowed to go on the show while in a vulnerable state.
The 58-year-old was one of the most talented players of his generation during the 1990s
On Good Morning Britain this week, the former Newcastle star was openly emotional about his journey with alcohol
One X user wrote: ‘This interview with Gazza on Good Morning Britain is terrible. He’s been on the verge of breaking down several times. I really feel for him, but why have him on to talk about his heartbreak when he obviously can’t cope talking about it. Hope he will be ok. He’s a legend.’
Another proclaimed that watching the interview ‘has broken my heart’; however, they made sure to praise both Reid and Madeley for how they managed such an emotional interview.
‘@GMB this interview with Gazza has broken my heart,’ the user started. ‘Absolutely incredible. Conducted with such empathy and understanding without being patronising. What an amazing bloke. Well done.’
Gascoigne was England’s golden boy during the 1990s, regarded as one of the most talented players of his generation. He helped the Three Lions reach both a World Cup and European Championship semi-final during his best years, but his battle with alcohol and drug addiction, even during his playing days, soon defined him.
Now, after attempting to go cold turkey, Gazza has acknowledged that he is ‘ignorant’ when it comes to alcohol, but when asked if he finds it ‘impossible’ to give up, he gave a poignant analogy.
‘Not really, I’ve done five years and four years [of trying to stop the booze],’ he continued. ‘It’s like anything else; if you sit in the barbers for long enough, you’re going to get a haircut.
‘I did this book, Number Eight, to try and help others. It’s nothing about football; it’s what I put myself through.’
