Paul Gascoigne
(Picture: PA)Football legend Paul Gascoigne has revealed he has started drinking again ahead of an appearance on an Italian reality TV show.
The 53-year-old, who has had a very public struggle with drink, is due to appear on the Italian version of I’m A Celebrity.
He told The Sun: “I’ll always be an alcoholic, but now I can have a couple of glasses of wine — and I have a few beers. Not every day, but when I want to.
“I only ever drink when . . . well, put it this way — if I want a drink I’ll have a drink. If I don’t want one I’ll just leave it, which is not the right thing, but I’ve been like that for ages.
“I don’t trust spirits so I keep away from them, but I’m on top of things at the moment. I’m enjoying life.”
Gascoigne, who played for Lazio in the Italian capital Rome, is currently in a hotel in Milan before he flies out to Honduras in central America where the show is filmed.
He tried out for the ITV version of the show in 2009 but failed the psychiatric tests carried out on would-be contestants.
Other contestants in the Italian version include a beauty queen and a fashion heiress.
Gascoigne, who started his career at his native Newcastle before joining Tottenham, played 57 times for England including at the 1990 World Cup. His career also included stints at Middlesbrough, Everton and Glasgow Rangers.
