Paul Gascoigne has insisted that he will "always be an alcoholic."
But Gazza says he's now able to control how much he has, revealing he can limit himself to "a couple of glasses of wine or a few glasses of beer."
The England ace has faced well-documented struggles with the bottle in the past, including a number of stints in rehab.
And now he's drinking again - but says he only does it when he wants to.
"I'll always be an alcoholic," he told The Sun, "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."
Gazza added: "I don't 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."
But he's sworn off spirits, remarking: "I'm on top of things at the moment. I'm enjoying life."
Gazza previously revealed when he was off booze that he heads to the tattoo parlour to curb any urge to head to the pub.
Do you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror here .
He told The Daily Star : "I'm getting tattoos because I love them and I've got f****** nothing else to do.
"“If I don't go to the tattooists, I'll go to the pub and drink. To be honest, I'd rather go to my tattooist."
Meanwhile, Paul's been lined up for the Italian version of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
He's currently isolating in a Milan hotel before jetting out to the show's location in Honduras.
"This Italian one is ten weeks," he said, "You eat rice and I'm hoping it'll leave me with a great sun tan and I'll stop smoking.
"I'm brushing up on my Italian at the moment. I can understand more than I can speak, but I'll be OK."
Gazza became a household name in Italy during his three-year stint at Lazio in the 90s.
He continued: "I've met some of the contestants. I don't know who they are and a lot of the young girls didn't really know me either.
"But a guy who was a Lazio fan dropped to his knees in front of me and started praying. That was a bit embarrassing."
The Samaritans is available 24/7 if you need to talk. You can contact them for free by calling 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or head to the website to find your nearest branch. You matter.
