Paul Gascoigne collapsed in his home on Friday night.
Paul Gascoigne(Image: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)
Paul Gascoigne has been discharged from hospital but remains “very poorly,” according to a close friend. The former Rangers footballer, 58, was taken to hospital on Friday after collapsing at his home in Poole, Dorset.
He was found semi-conscious in his bedroom and rushed to A&E, where he was initially admitted to intensive care before being moved to an acute ward over the weekend. He was said to be in a stable condition throughout.
Carly Saward of the MNT talent agency said: “Paul voluntarily went into A&E on Friday after struggling with a throat condition he has had for a while. He is already back home and doing well.”
His friend and personal assistant Steve Foster, who discovered him on Friday, has been visiting him daily. He told The Sun: “Paul is stable now but is still very poorly. But it shows how popular and loved he still is by fans everywhere. I can’t walk down the street with him without him being stopped — it’s crazy.”
Gascoigne, known affectionately as Gazza, has faced long-standing battles with alcoholism and addiction but had been in better shape in recent months. A source told The Mirror earlier on Monday: “He has told friends that he is fine and was going to give an update later today. He has been doing well recently so this was an unexpected setback. He had a full three months without alcohol over the summer while he was doing various speaking engagements and looked really well.”
During a celebrated career, Gascoigne won 57 England caps and played for Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Everton. His off-pitch struggles, however, have frequently overshadowed his footballing achievements.
Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist(Image: Mark Thompson/Allsport)
Speaking on the High Performance podcast in March 2024, Gascoigne reflected: *“I used to be a happy drunk, I ain’t any more … I’m a sad drunk. I don’t go out and drink, I drink indoors. 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, I 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 all right. Last year wasn’t brilliant, was off and on for a couple of months.”
He added: “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.”