Some 80 former Tottenham stars had been invited to line the pitch at White Hart Lane following the final whistle of Sunday’s home game against Manchester United. One key figure, however, will be absent. During an interview on Good Morning Britain, an emotional Paul Gascoigne broke down in tears as he revealed mental health issues would prevent him from attending the final match at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
Gascoigne, at nearly 50, is no stranger to turmoil having struggled with alcoholism since the later days of his playing career. He, however, took to the cameras to describe this past year as ‘the worst of my life’. The death of his nephew, Jay Kerrigan, who died at just 22 years old was one of many traumatic experiences the former England midfielder bravely discussed before lamenting the poor standards of mental health services in England.
In the same week that saw former Spurs winger Aaron Lennon detained by the Police under the mental health act, Gascoigne stated ‘There needs to be more done. Especially with the guys. It’s the macho thing, they think, ‘Nah I’m not doing this because no one will like me’’. He then continued to wish Tottenham luck and hinted that he’d have other opportunities to revisit the club in the future.
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