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LONDON. — Paul Gascoigne has been admitted to hospital following an apparent drinking binge.
The England soccer legend, who made 57 appearances for his country, was found slumped outside his penthouse apartment in Poole, Dorset, clutching a bottle of gin.He is reportedly in the process of being evicted from the £3 million rented penthouse, because neighbours had recently complained about noise levels.

According to the Daily Mirror, Gascoigne was taken away from the home to Poole Hospital after paramedics and police were called earlier on Thursday.

A spokeswoman for South West Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics were called to attend to a patient in the Sandbanks area on Wednesday afternoon.

A friend told the Daily Mirror: “It is very sad. But the reality is Paul has been drinking for the past few weeks and once that happens things will only end one way.

“Today things came to a head. He has had a lot on his plate as he is in the process of trying to find somewhere to live. His landlord had given him 10 days to get out of the flat and it was weighing on his mind. Obviously things became too much for him in the past couple of days and he has turned back to the bottle.”

He was recently seen in public at a WH Smith store, where fans said he appeared “unsteady on his feet”.

A spokesman for Gascoigne declined to comment on the incident outside his home.

In a TV documentary shown last September, the star described the pain of fearing he might start drinking again, despite knowing it could kill him.

The ITV show “Being Paul Gascoigne” revealed he was addicted to sweets and spent £1 000 a year on anti-wrinkle jabs to counteract the ravages of drinking.

The star of the 1990 World Cup soccer finals in Italy, whose teams included Newcastle United, Tottenham, Lazio, Rangers, Everton and Middlesbrough, spoke about overhearing doctors say he might die when he was being treated in the US.

Friends from sport and showbusiness clubbed together last year to pay for his treatment. — Mailonline