PAUL GASCOIGNE has admitted he will never stop drinking and “cannot change”.
The England legend has struggled with alcohol addiction throughout his life.
Gazza, 58, has spent multiple stints in rehab in an attempt to kick the habit.
But in a new interview, he has explained why he has been unable to stop with the booze.
He insisted that he would “get drunk” for the “sake of it” and not because of any hatred towards anyone.
The retired midfielder claimed that he no longer has “nothing to hide” though he can avoid long spells off the wagon.
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He told The Mirror: “I have not changed, I cannot change, I would not know how to change.
“I will probably die as Gazza. But I have nothing to hide. The whole country knows what I have done now.
“I drank because I wanted to drink, I regretted the consequences afterwards.
“Now if I have a relapse, I do not go for weeks on end like I did before.
“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.”
Gascoigne pointed to the likes of other football legends such as Jimmy Greaves and George Best.
While he admitted he was not them, he insisted that he is only trying to “live for today”.
Gazza starred for the likes of Newcastle, Lazio and Tottenham during his playing days.
He also earned 57 caps for England and scored ten goals, including his iconic strike against Scotland at Euro 1996.
He is now publishing his new book “Eight” which will show the “real Gazza for the first time”.
Meanwhile, he has also revealed that he “necked brandy” before scoring twice in the Scottish League Cup final in 1996 while playing for Rangers.
Speaking on GMB, he said: “Yeah it was half-time. It was in the cup final.
“The manager asked if I’d had a drink and I said no. And he went ‘go and get one’.
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“So I had nine brandies and went out and I scored two in the cup final… got man of the match.
“But I wasn’t allowed to the after-dinner party because I’d already had my drinks at half-time!”
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