The biggest drunk in the history of English football, at the time of confessions: "At the break I drank nine brands. I returned to the field, scored two goals and was called the match man"

The biggest drunk in the history of English football, at the time of confessions: “At the break I drank nine brands. I returned to the field, scored two goals and was called the match man”

At the age of 58, Paul Gasgoigne, a former great footballer in the national of England, relies on the television the wounds of an alcohol, trauma and a father who, to save him, was forced to admit him. It is considered in the island perhaps the greatest drunk in the history of British football. Behind the addiction are traumas that he avoided to speak openly.

Paul Gascoigne has been put to the ground by alcohol

Paul Gascoigne decided not to keep away. In front of the cameras and with his new book in his hand, Eight, the former English football star spoke openly about the darkest moments of his life. “Gazza”, as the fans called it, spoke with sincere emotion about his long alcohol, alternating bitter smiles with memories that still haunt him.

Among the strongest moments, an episode that perfectly captures the excess and glow of the character Gascoigne: the final of the 1996 League Cup, with the Scottish Glasgow Rangers. “At the break“He remembered,”The coach asked me if I was drinking. I said no. He replied, “Then go and take something.” I drank nine brands. I returned to the field, scored two goals and was called the match man. But they didn’t let me go to dinner after the match, because I had already drank too much. “

Behind the irony, however, there is a story of deep pain. Gascoigne reported that he lived for months without talking to his parents, a silence that had “destroyed.” Only when his father decided to admit him to realize that this was the turning point: “Those 11 days saved my life”.

In the book, the former midfielder also tells a tragedy that scored in childhood: the death of the younger brother of a friend, hit by a car right under his eyes. “I assumed the responsibility to take care of it“He said, with a broken voice.”Ran a meter forward and a car hit. Died in my arms … I thought he was still breathing but didn’t breathe”, Said Gazza.

That trauma, never really processed, has become an open wound that haunted throughout his career, fueling his mental health problems and alcohol addiction. “I did a lot of crazy things“He admitted,”But today I try to look at life differently”.

Adrian Stoica

Adrian Stoica

Adrian is the founder and the visionary behind Cluj Napoca, a media platform committed to capturing and sharing the vibrant stories of Cluj-Napoca and Romania with an international audience. A graduate in international journalism from the University of Bucharest and holder of a Master’s in Cultural Studies from Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Adrian has a robust educational background that equips him to understand and analyze the complexities of his native region's culture and history.