Football family support Gascoigne

A number of Paul Gascoigne’s former team-mates and managers rallied around the troubled ex-footballer today after he was sectioned under the UK's Mental Health Act.

The England legend, one of the most gifted players of his generation, was arrested and detained on Wednesday after it was claimed he acted as a “potential menace” at a luxury hotel.

Gascoigne began his rollercoaster career at Newcastle, where he cleaned current manager Kevin Keegan’s boots.

Keegan promised the 40-year-old all the help the club can give him in his hour of need.

The Magpies boss revealed he had spoken to Gascoigne’s family to offer any assistance he could.

He said: “I have talked with his dad and one of his sisters and I know it looks negative, but I think it is a massive positive for Paul Gascoigne from all the information I have had.

“This is a good thing for him and although in the short term, it does not look that way, in the long term, I think it will prove to be really important in the life of Paul Gascoigne.”

Gascoigne was emerging from the ranks at St James’ Park as Keegan was leading the fight for promotion back to the top flight in 1983-84.

The current manager revealed he had to carpet the then teenager for the quality of service he provided.

Keegan said: “He was my boot boy when I was a player here back in 1983-84 - and not a very good boot boy.

“He lost one of my boots, and I was scoring quite a lot of goals that season, so I can remember giving him a bit of a run-over for that. He just wanted to prove to his mates that he was my boot boy.

“We as a club will do everything we can to help. His family know that, we have talked with them, and we can help a lot.”

Gascoigne’s second club was Tottenham and his former captain there, Gary Mabbutt, urged English football to do its duty by his friend.

Gascoigne has struggled throughout his career with a succession of problems, some more serious than others, and Mabbutt believes this is now the time for the “football family” to intervene.

“Football always talks about being the football family,” Mabbutt told BBC Radio Five Live.

“At the moment, one of that football family’s most talented sons needs desperate help.”

Mabbutt added: “The problem Paul has been having is trying to fill the void that his playing career has left.

“Everyone that knows Paul will be very saddened by yesterday’s news. Paul always had football – every morning when he woke up he used to love going to training and going to play games.

“The thing that Paul needs is get focused and concentrated on something else, hopefully within the game of football.”

Gascoigne’s top-flight career ended with Everton and their manager, David Moyes, revealed his shock at the predicament his former player finds himself in.

Gascoigne quickly became surplus to requirements under Moyes but he maintained a friendship with the Goodison Park boss, who said: “I do hope that things start working out better for Gazza. He is a player I know well, he was here when I took over.

“He used to phone me and text me a lot, he was someone I spoke a lot to when he was here, and since.

“He has been around the club a lot even after he left. I just hope he gets over the situation he is in now.

“He is a good man, a good person and was always willing to help others. Everyone at this club will tell you that. When I have been around him, he has proved to be a real gent. We all here hope he gets the help he needs.”

Sunderland boss Roy Keane, a former rival on the field from his days as Nottingham Forest’s and Manchester United’s midfield general, is praying Gascoigne finds peace.

Keane was in the Forest side that lost to Spurs in the 1991 FA Cup final, a game which also saw Gascoigne suffer a serious cruciate ligament injury.

He said: “We all pray that Paul finds a bit of peace and serenity because he deserves it.”