Former England football star Paul Gascoigne has declared he will never stop drinking, asserting he expects to “die as Gazza” and has nothing left to conceal about his public struggle with alcohol addiction.
The 58-year-old, widely known by his nickname Gazza, stated in a new interview with The Mirror that he could not change his ways. “I haven’t changed, I can’t change, I wouldn’t know how to change. I’ll probably die as Gazza,” he said.
Gascoigne added that he has “nothing to hide” as “the whole country knows what I’ve done now.” He acknowledged that his past actions likely hurt his parents but conceded, “The person you hurt most is yourself.”
While he admits to drinking because he wanted to, the ex-midfielder noted that current relapses do not last “weeks on end as I used to.”
Gascoigne has battled alcohol addiction for many years, undergoing numerous rehabilitation sessions.
A beloved figure in English football, he earned 57 caps for his country and played for major clubs including Newcastle United, Lazio, Tottenham Hotspur, and Rangers.
He is set to release a new book titled ‘Eight’, which he says will reveal “the true Gazza for the first time.” The memoir is expected to recount various stories, including an incident from 1996.
During the Scottish League Cup final for Rangers, Gascoigne admitted to drinking nine brandies at halftime after his coach jokingly told him to “go and have one.” He went on to score two goals and was named man of the match, though he was later barred from the post-dinner party due to his halftime consumption.