PICTURES of ex-footballer Paul Gascoigne returning from life-saving rehab treatment in America are bound to upset all those who admired his silky skills on the field.
Sadly, he is like many young men with a fatal flaw who become famous, and the treatment will prove useless without a sea-change in his philosophy and ambitions. At 45, there is still much ahead of him and he has to find his place in the world where he can be happy and feel satisfied.
Celebrity supporters clubbed together to pay for the expensive US treatment but now it’s up to him. Let’s hope he takes a hard look at the friends around him who regularly join him at the bar and assess whether they really do have his best interests at heart.
It would be very sad if he went the way of that other flawed football genius George Best. You’ve still got so much to give to life, Paul. Please don’t throw it away.