Football icon Paul Gascoigne has opened up about the profound sacrifices his family make to support him during the festive season, as he continues to grapple with a long-standing battle against alcohol.
A Family's Festive Sacrifice
The 58-year-old former England midfielder, affectionately known as Gazza, makes an extraordinary 700-mile round trip each Christmas from his flat in Poole, Dorset, to his hometown of Gateshead. There, he visits his 82-year-old mother Carol, sisters Anna, 59, and Lindsay, 52, and brother Carl, 56.
In an exclusive conversation with the Mirror, Gascoigne revealed a key condition of the gathering. "The family does not drink around me," he stated, explaining that he leaves early to allow them to celebrate freely. "I have to shoot off and just let them get on with it. I love to see them, we go into one house."
The journey back to Dorset is a costly one, with Gascoigne estimating a taxi fare of around £900. He saves opening his presents—typically slippers, a dressing gown, wine gums, and Brut aftershave from his mum—until he returns home.
The Unflinching Reality of Addiction
Gascoigne, who was speaking to promote his latest book 'Eight' with Reach Sport, gave a starkly honest account of his relationship with alcohol since retiring from professional football. He admitted he has never been able to fully give up booze, despite numerous stints in rehabilitation clinics.
"Jimmy Greaves stopped drinking, but that is Jimmy Greaves," he reflected. "I am not Jimmy Greaves and I am not George Best. 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."
The former Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Lazio star adopts a day-by-day philosophy. "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."
A Lifetime of Pain and Regret
Gascoigne spoke candidly about the physical and emotional toll of his struggles. He has undergone a staggering 38 operations, stemming from a career marked by serious injuries. The most severe was the cruciate ligament damage to his left knee sustained during the 1991 FA Cup final.
His troubles continued off the pitch, including an assault in a Newcastle nightclub during his recovery from that injury, which required further surgery. More recently, in 2021, he badly injured his shoulder falling from a palm tree while attempting to collect a coconut on the Italian version of 'I'm a Celebrity'.
He also recounted a terrifying moment in 2013 at a rehab clinic in Arizona where he received an injection into his heart and believed he was going to die.
Of the pain caused to his family, particularly his parents, Gascoigne said: "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." He noted that his mother, Carol, is now the only person who calls him 'Paul' instead of 'Gazza'.
Despite the hardships, Gascoigne maintains a resilient outlook. "I will probably die as Gazza. But I have nothing to hide. The whole country knows what I have done now." His book, 'Paul Gascoigne, Eight, The Real Gazza', is on sale now.
